What to expect at the Green House Candle Pour Bar!

So you are thinking of joining the Candle Pour Bar at the Green House… Here’s what to expect!

The Candle Pour Bar is offered as a Pop Up Class in Iowa City, at the Green House! For almost two years we have been hosting monthly candle workshops with spirits and friends. If you are coming to the Green House, please feel free to come 15+ minutes early, when guests arrive they are invited to purchase a drink from the bar and settle in. Each cocktail, mocktail, coffee and tea is made to order by the lovely staff - so if you are planning on enjoying a handcrafted beverage, please give yourself enough time to arrive, order, and find your spot.

The class will take place in the green room, which is the front left space when you walk in, and we can host up to 32 people! Since this is a pop up class, we ask everyone register online so we can plan accordingly. The online registration closes at midnight before the event. When you arrive you are welcome to re-arrange spots to accommodate for friends, and we also have many people come solo to make some friends. Come as you are, and we will have fun getting to spend time socializing and creating together. The class will start promptly at 2pm (so come early to get your drink ordered). You will get to choose from 12 seasonal fragrances and 4 jar colors to customize your candle. The creation and candle pouring will take about 60 minutes. After the candles are made, they require an hour time frame to dry (known as are curing) so we invite guests to socialize and relax in the sun filled plant oasis. You can order more beverages, get some snacks, grab a board game, keep on chatting, enjoy the patio (weather pending), and make your custom label on our 1950s typewriter.

We will wrap up together at about 4pm, talk about candle home care, and say our goodbyes!

The Green House is an Iowa City favorite, and I can’t wait to make some candles with you in this very special place. Check the upcoming class dates on the website at turaluraco.com.

Here’s the few quick tips to prepare for the Candle Pour Bar in Iowa City:

- the Green House is located at 505 E Washington St in Iowa City

- parking is free on the street on Sundays, and free in the Chauncey Swan Ramp

- come 15 minutes early to settle in and get something to sip on

- we will create for the first hour, then socialize for an hour while the candles cure

- come solo or with friends! we spend some time getting to know each other at the beginning so we can have good conversations

- outside snacks and food are welcomed at the Green House :)

The twelfth Friday four of 2024

Happy Friday! It’s been all flowers, all week over here! Both dried flowers in the studio to fresh flowers in the garden, we had to cut off a bunch of the blooming daffodils to enjoy them since we’ll be getting snow this weekend. So much has happened, and here’s a few of the highlights for this edition of the Friday Four:

1. I started to sow some seeds this week! In grow trays, tucked down next to my furnace where it’s nice and toasty so they can begin to germinate. Learning how to do this through books and videos is one thing, to actually start to do it makes me so darn excited. The goal is to get the plant babies into the garden after the last frost (some fruits, veggies, and some cut flower varieties) and continue growing our garden. This feels like a huge new step to transition from buying the seedlings to growing from seeds. Wish me luck!

2. After saving up some beautiful flower heads, I feel ready to debut some of the flower confetti! These are beautiful natural flowers to create some magic in a biodegradable confetti. Over the last decade, I’ve really started to look at what products I’m using, how to cut back on single use plastic, how to be more thoughtful and sustainable in every area of my life. This flower confetti felt like it had to be one of the things we could put into the world. Why? For a countdown to noon 3 years ago (our NYE tradition with the kids) I had bought what was labeled as biodegradable confetti… Three years later and I am still finding it all over our backyard. When we know better, we can do better. Hence, fully compostable and beautiful flower confetti for celebrations.

3.  West Branch Wednesday is just around the corner! This is an initiative that happens the first Wednesday of every month. Come out to visit and shop Main Street on Wednesday, April 3! I’ll be running an evening Candle Pour Bar starting at 5:30pm, so we can make candles then you can hop over to one of the local eateries for dinner or go to the local boutiques, before coming back to grab your candle. For all creative classes, sign up online at turaluraco.com and let me know if you have any questions!

4. Looking ahead and planning is one of my favorite things, how I feel grounded, and I was so happy to get to spend time doing that this week. Getting to mark down potential dates to plant seedlings, getting to mark down more creative classes, looking forward to many reasons to celebrate in the coming months. One of the things that I appreciate is that the studio has quickly turned into a space to slow down to just be present and creative. If you need a moment of calm this weekend, come visit me in studio Friday 3/22 from noon to 4pm or Saturday 3/23 noon to 3pm! We are closing down at 3pm Saturday for Dried Floral Bar (last call to sign up)!

Sending you love and light,

Erika

The eleventh Friday four of 2024

Happy Friday! It’s spring break in Iowa! It’s been a bit quieter here, which was good to slow down to spring clean, to get out the planner and schedule summertime happenings, and spend some extra time with the kiddos. Here’s a few of the highlights for this edition of the Friday Four:

1. I am really looking forward to the upcoming dates for creative classes at the studio in West Branch! We kick off Dried Floral Bar next Saturday 3/23 with gold disco ball vases then we have an evening Candle Pour Bar (as part of the Wednesday Night in West Branch) on Wednesday 4/3 at 5:30pm! With the sun staying up longer, I feel like we need to have some evening gatherings in the heart of West Branch… anyone else interested? Let me know what nights and times are best for you and we can add some more opportunities to the schedule.

2. I shared online yesterday that I am a huge homebody. Getting me to leave the comfort of my home can be really challenging. And, I am always grateful for the experiences I have when I step out of my comfort zone. What helps me confidently step out to try new things is feeling prepared. So, I wrote up a little more about what to expect at the studio in West Branch. I hope this helps answer some questions you might have (and if you have more questions, always feel free to reach out)!

3.  Have you visited the West Branch studio yet? Well, I am open today and tomorrow noon - 4pm for some open hours at the studio! Stop by and say hi! I’d love to see you. And, I am still running the Grand Opening Giveaway for anyone who visits in person, tickets will be accepted until April 6! Stop in any open time and fill out your giveaway ticket, no purchase necessary. Always check the website banner for updated open hours at turaluraco.com as we adjust some weekend hours for classes.

4. I am now booking out to May and June for Private Parties! If you want to host a celebration for the end of semester, graduation, a bachelorette, or some other reason to gather and create in late spring or early summer - let’s connect soon and get a date held. Private Parties at the studio in West Branch don’t have to be a huge gathering, I just ask for a minimum of 6 people. And I compiled a FAQ about private events, you can find that resource page here.

Sending you love and light, and I hope you are doing something wonderful this Friday!

Erika