SCENT-SATION: Candles take the cake for small business owner Castle
Ember & Ivory is a small business based in Muscle Shoals that sells decorative candles designed to look as beautiful as they smell. The business began in December 2025, a month after Chelsie Castle learned she had lost her healthcare job. Castle had worked as a medical director in Nashville and had recently relocated to Muscle Shoals, where she continued to work remotely.
Castle said, “It was October 2025. I was in the kitchen making spaghetti, with our children playing, when I got a call from my company. My position had been terminated after I had been there for two years. I felt like my whole world was crumbling.” Her healthcare job was her life, her identity, and she wasn’t certain how she was going to recover. Her fiancé, Jordan Miller, previously made candles as a hobby, and he suggested that Castle try it. There were lots of benefits: Castle could stay at home with their children, be her own boss and be creative. He would support her through all of it.
Castle was apprehensive. Going from healthcare to crafting wasn’t what she’d had in mind. For a month solid, Castle researched everything, going all in to learn as much as she could. What was the right type of wick? What fragrance oils did she want to use? What kind of wax melted the best? She joined resource groups online. She looked at other candle makers for ideas and inspiration. She filled a notebook with observations and experimentation results. “It was overwhelming!” Castle said. “I didn’t want to do it. But Jordan convinced me to just try.”
One day while Castle was experimenting, she had a breakthrough. She’d accidentally left some wax in a pouring pot. The wax turned into the consistency of Cool Whip. She stirred until it became light and fluffy. She scooped the wax into piping bags for cake decorating and squeezed the wax into a jar. So far so good, she lit the wick. The wax burned like a normal candle. Thanks to a happy accident, the ideas began to flow.
Ember & Ivory candles are decorated to resemble desserts and treats, and they are made from the highest quality ingredients. Castle uses only soy-based wax because soy is safer for allergies, cleaner to burn and less toxic than paraffin. She creates decorative pieces called “embeds” that are made of wax and placed into silicone molds.
Some of the shapes are macaroons, strawberries, waffles and teddy bears. Castle has expanded her business to sell wax melts and vehicle air fresheners. The scent selection ranges from masculine, floral, sweet, citrus and clean. Candles can be ordered standard – plain white wax – or in the popular decorative form.
Within the first month of posting on Facebook, the business sold 200 candles. A boutique in Florence reached out and requested Ember & Ivory as a vendor at one of their events. Castle also took on a wholesale account. In February 2026, Ashley Mercantile, a gift shop with locations in Florence and Cullman, stocked the candles. As of this writing, Ember & Ivory’s Facebook page has almost 2,000 followers. People from Indiana, Texas, New Mexico and as far away as Australia have been clamoring for Ember & Ivory. Not bad for a fledgling business!
The community has been a great help – and Castle hopes to help the community in return. She already has regulars. People contact her asking if she has a very specific scent. One customer asked Castle if she could make a candle scented with the perfume her grandmother used to wear. Castle rose to the challenge and made the candle, which helped the customer grieve her grandmother’s passing. “The business isn’t just about selling candles,” Castle said. “It’s about meeting people, creating something meaningful for them and offering a little bit of comfort.”
Castle’s future goals are to set up a website, to do more collaborations and to offer nationwide shipping. Her dream is to have a storefront where she can throw candle-making parties for events such as girls’ night outs, graduations, birthdays and bridal parties. Her passion had been her medical career. Losing the job made her feel like she’d lost herself. Candle-making turned her life around. Castle said, “You can still make a difference and help others, even with a candle.”
Check out Ember & Ivory on Facebook and @shopemberandivory on Instagram. Ember & Ivory will have a booth set up on March 27 and March 28, 2026, at the Rotary Park in Lawrenceburg, TN for the springtime Merry Market. Ember & Ivory will also have a booth at The Willow, located at 1954 Jackson Road in Florence on April 25, 2026. To order candles, visit the Facebook page, Instagram or email [email protected].
