Row E Suite 16. The online website is available 24/7 thecandlebakers.com In a sleepy little town in rural New England in the year 1970, at the youthful age of just thirteen, the talents of a little boy were obvious to his Mother and others. Wandering into a local gift shop on the Town Square, curious Billy wondered what these longhaired hippies were making in the back room that smelled so good. In
quisitively Billy proceeded to initiate the little boy's twenty questions rule about how they make their candles. Before long, Billy was sent on his way with a block of wax, dyes, fragrances and some verbal instructions. His ambitious imagination would set to work and from an array of steaming pots strewed over his Mama’s stove would emerge fabulous creations of the candle sort. Little Billy would enthusiastically peddle his original goods to all the local merchants, to his classmates in school, and even to the hippies that started him in his local enterprise. It wasn’t long before his modest business had eventually outgrown the limitations of a kitchen stove, which he had accidentally set ablaze. After the flames were harmlessly extinguished and the smoke had cleared, Mom mindfully commandeered her charred-beloved appliance. It was on to bigger and better things for little Billy in the musty but sprawling confines of his family’s basement. It was from these humble beginnings that Billy would eventually go on to develop and patent the Wax Romance™ Wax Hand Machine™ (that produced a mold of a one's hand), Forever Roses™ (fresh cut roses preserved indefinitely in wax & acrylic) and Candle Art™ scented granulated waxes (similar to sand art that the customer creates themselves), then market them to amusement parks, theme parks, and attractions internationally. Billy then set out to create the most exquisite line of gourmet candles ever developed. It took a decade of moonlighting in the 1980’s in some of the finest restaurants in the country to attain the necessary culinary training and experience, the equivalent expertise of an executive chef. Thus, Almost Edible Gourmet Candles™ was created, a delectable menu of delicious super-scented, handcrafted, gourmet candle originals created the old fashion way, in small batches with attention to every detail, no two being exactly alike, a lost art being revived and enhanced with a unique approach of “Almost Edible Gourmet Candles™”, authentic in appearance, true in aroma, and genuine in presentation. An extensive menu exists of over 600 decadent appetizers, entrées, desserts; ice creams, floats, parfaits, fruit cups, pies, cobblers, cheesecakes, shortcakes, cupcakes, pancakes, French toast, waffles, cordials, cocktails, wines, tropical drinks, juices, cappuccinos & coffees, etc. As a Candle Artisan since 1970, with a small staff of candle bakers, they personally create each candle recipe which are up to twenty times more fragrant than traditional candles making it unnecessary to burn for approximately a year, yet still enjoying their aroma throughout 1–3 rooms, thus, providing a centerpiece of conversation. Each gourmet candle features a “Conceal-a-wick Garnish”™ for an authentic look. Conceal-a-wick Garnish™ is an Almost Edible Gourmet Candle™ original concept of concealing the wicks under wax fruits, nuts, whipped cream, etc. or color concealing for a genuine appearance, i.e. long red cherry stem. The stem is trimmed then lit or the garnish is removed to the side for lighting (which is later consumed by the wax pool) revealing the wick. The result is a candle that will fool even the most experience restaurant connoisseur, adding mystique and allure, but something was still missing - his buried long-time passions of giving back to those in need. On January 9, 2010 Billy started Cowgirls Git-R-Dun, an obscure social networking site that he never expected to be anything more than a place that women could go to share their stories, trials and tribulations of overcoming hardships and their dreams and aspirations. It became a place of comfort and security to speak freely amongst themselves without judgment or ridicule, a place to laugh till you cried, and a place to heal lingering wounds. Never did he expect it to quickly take on a life of its own swelling to over 1,200 members, many building lifelong friendships. On July 31, 2010 everything came full circle when they lost one of their own, Brenda L. (Sunny) Ahrens, an original member whose life was snuffed out at the hands of her abusive boyfriend. It was then that he and they vowed to do ALL they could do to never let this happen again.