Only a handful of people in the world are able to have the motivation to make their hobbies into a business.  The two founders of Happily Ever After Candles (HEAC), Elizabeth Valle, 26, and Stephanie Velasco, 22, are two childhood friends who are currently building their hobbies into a business.

Valle is a business major at Bakersfield College, and Velasco transferred out of BC and into CSUB back in 2010 and is studying child adolescent and family.

“We were trying to look for a hobby,” stated Velasco when asked how the idea of making candles came to mind.

While Valle is working full time and is a part-time student, and Velasco is a student teacher, the two use their spare time to make their candles.

The two friends began making their candles back in October 2011.  They use a supplier in order to get their different scents and waxes.

HEAC uses soy wax, which is not harmful and burns clean, and lasts longer than non-soy waxes.

“It’s like cooking,” stated Velasco when asked how the candle making process worked.

The process of making a candle takes Velasco and Valle an estimated 45 minutes to an hour, while the candle is estimated to last  just a little over 26 hours.

While they have seasonal candles for sale, scents such as pumpkin spice and brown sugar, HEAC also has their regular scents, lime and basil, being one of their best sellers.  They also have scents such as flower shops and sweet pea, which are also popular.

They also take requests, one of the examples being coconut scented candles.

“We put our efforts and let it run,” stated Valle, “we’re not known but we are local.”

With the support of their family and friends, HEAC was able to come with a design for their candles and ideas for their current and future scents.

“We’re creating our own scents by researching,” stated Valle.  With the help of a friend of both Valle and Velasco, the two candle makers have taken the idea of creating a bacon scented candle, the scent has not been made into a candle yet, but the two are thinking about it in their future.

Currently the HEAC is promoted during the monthly First Friday event.

They also have a Facebook page, and a business card, which you can use to order candles to be delivered.

Valle went on to state that their candles are free to smell when seen promoting, and that there isn’t a pressure to buy their products, “consumers are happy and that is most important to us.”

While only using First Friday as their current primary source of sales, HEAC is planning on taking on vendors and shop owners who approach them during the event and give them ideas to help out with their sales.

They aren’t able to sell during the summer due to the heat melting their candles.

Valle stated that they have plans for the future of their candles but currently are taking on ideas and offers, which will benefit their sales.

Their 10-ounce candles are currently $8 and their bigger candles range from 10$ and over.

“Give it a try,” said Velasco, “they [candles] sell by themselves.”