Tribute to Otis: 2003-2016

Yesterday we lost our companion, Otis. He was my first pet. While others have come - and some have gone - in the last 14 years, his passing hits especially hard.

It's natural, I suppose, to look for a larger meaning at a time like this. My mind drifts to a young pup tenaciously hunting down a lost tennis ball in the brush, his tongue playfully hanging out of his mouth. I can hear the excited barking in the car on the way to some dog-imagined bliss. I feel the energentic tug of the leash as we make our way down the sidewalk. It becomes clear that it was never about finding a ball or reaching a destination. It was about joy in the moment. Easier said than done, really. He lived in a swirl of chaos - a sensory overload of noises, smells, and sights. His world must have been like a baffling galaxy of unconnected dots. Yet through it all burst his unbridled happiness. Oh, Otis, we have so much to learn.

Thank you, my friend, for the journey. You've made us so happy, and we we love you with all our hearts. 

- Paul Murphy

Find Reek Havoc at the Following Upcoming Events

Reek Havoc will be selling candles at the following events in 2016:

The Crafty Fair

Sunday, April 10th

Madison's Goodman Community Center

10-4

Black Sheep Bazaar

Sunday, May 22nd

High Noon Saloon

10-6

Breese Stevens Bodega Summer Outdoor Market

Thursday evenings from 4-8 pm

May 19th

June 23rd

July 21st

August 11th

September 29th

MMoCA's Holiday Art Fair

November 18-20

Hope to see you there! A portion of each sale benefits Underdog Pet Rescue of Wisconsin.

Heart of the Home Pop-Up

Just in time for Valentine's Day for the people and pets in your life...

Come see us at the Heart of the Home Valentine's Pop Up, this weekend, Hilldale Mall, Madison. We'll be there on Saturday and Sunday, and we'd love to see you. As always, $1 from every candle we sell goes to Underdog Pet Rescue.

Get your Puppy Love, Doggy Style, Kinky Cover-Up, Dog Fart Fixer, Dysfunctional Family Fumigator, and many other candle styles in the following new and favorite scents:

Candles Scented with Pure Essential Oils:

Peppermint Pine

Lemon Mint Eucalyptus

Lavandin Lemongrass

Rosemary Peppermint

Candles Scented with Phthalate-Free Fragrances infused with Essential Oils:

Vanilla Pound Cake

All Spruced Up

Lemon Pound Cake

Lilac Bush

Pineapple Sage

Honeysuckle Jasmine

Stud Muffin (oak moss & amber)

Berry White (white tea & berries)

Clean Cut (clean cotton)

Hydrangea

Fresh Cut Grass

Smoky Amber

Fig Leaf

Hope to see you there!

Jill & Amy

MMoCA Holiday Art Fair

We love the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's Holiday Art Fair. Sure, we'll be displaying our candles there this year for the first time, but our appreciation for the museum runs deeper than a sales opportunity.

We've both spent the majority of our professional careers helping artists. We've worked at two online art companies together helping artists market their work and share it with the world. We've dabbled in our own creations, including candles, and believe that art and the opportunity for all people to enjoy, contemplate, and interact with it--no matter how big or small--makes the world a better place. MMoCA provides Madison residents and visitors with a unique opportunity to experience the best in contemporary art.

Since 1901, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art has provided free exhibitions and education programs for city residents and visitors. The museum provides an exhilarating setting for the presentation and conservation of modern and contemporary art. Programs like MMoCA Nights and Rooftop Cinema, special events like Design MMoCA and Hair Affair, and exhibitions featuring esteemed modern and contemporary artists, have made MMoCA a favorite downtown destination.

The Holiday Art Fair is particularly important because it helps ensure that everyone has access to great art. "Events like the Holiday Art Fair allow MMoCA to be an admission-free museum. With the funds raised at the fair, MMoCA can offer the Madison community free exhibitions and education programs that engage people in modern and contemporary art," says Annik Dupaty, Director of Events and Volunteers.

So we hope you'll come on down to the fair this weekend and check out the Reek Havoc booth, and support the 70+ artists and craftspeople who will have work there for purchase. But don't forget to check out the year-round offerings of MMoCA--it's a great place to experience art!

2015 Holiday Happenings: MMoCA's Holiday Art Fair, Ale Asylum's Shop Hop

Feliz Naughty-dog! We've been busy making our eco-friendly soy candles for the 2015 holiday season, and can't wait to show them to you! 

Find us at one of these upcoming events where we're debuting some fun new candles just in time for the Holidaze (Dysfunctional Family Fumigator, anyone?), and will have plenty of our best selling Dog Fart Fixer and Cat Crap Corrective candles on-hand.

First up, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's Holiday Art Fair. Friday, November 20th - Sunday, November 22nd. 227 State Street, Madison.

Then, if you're lucky you'll score a Kink(y) Cover-Up at Ale Asylum's Holiday Shop Hop! Saturday, December 5th from 1-5 pm in the upstairs lounge. No cover, $1 off pints. 2002 Pankratz St, Madison.

All purchases include a classy Reek Havoc gift bag for easy gift-giving.

BONUS: We love our pets, and $1 from each candle sold goes directly to our friends at Underdog Pet Rescue of Wisconsin.

Any questions? Feel free to reach us through our contact page. We hope to see you soon!

Amy and Jill
Reek Havoc

Reek Havoc Tips: Safely burn and prolong the life of your candles

 Tips for safely prolonging the life of your candles

Burn Time

The first time you burn your Reek Havoc candle, allow it to burn for at least two hours, until the whole top is liquid with wax. This will help your candle burn more evenly the next time.

Trim the Wick

Each time before you burn your candle, trim the wick to 1/4 inch. Trimming the wick allows it to burn more slowly and evenly.

Realign the Wick

After blowing out your candle, re-center and straighten the wick.

Safety

Never leave a lit candle unattended. This could be a fire risk. Always place your candle on a level, heat resistant, non-flammable surface away from fabric or drapes. Choose an area free from drafts to avoid uneven burning.

Every Reek Havoc candle is individually made by hand using eco-friendly soy, sourced from U.S. Farmers.They are made to burn longer than most traditional candles, lasting from 30 to 36 hours with a proper burn.

Reek Havoc Beginnings

One evening in the Fall of 2012 while sharing a bottle of wine (or two!), philosophizing on what we want to be when we grow up, we were silently ambushed into an olfactory uproar by Amy's sweet Yellow Lab, Otis. Amid the match lighting and magazine waving, we joked that there must be a better way for pets and their owners to live in fragrant harmony. That was the beginning of Reek Havoc.

Jill & Amy, co-owners, Reek Havoc

We're Amy and Jill, two Midwestern gals who love pets and the relationships they share with their humans. We enjoy creating, sharing some laughs, and having fun in our work. We have worked together on and off since 2001 at two online art companies and decided to give our own business a go. We're both Jacks (or Jills) of all trades; Amy brings a diverse background in the arts, merchandising, and marketing, while Jill brings her knowledge of writing, marketing, and design. 

And we both count our pets among our family members. Amy's fur babies include Oonagh, the 18-year-old Muppet mix and grand patriarch of the pack. Found in a dumpster (!) at only a few weeks old, she is living proof of the power of love, laughter, and second chances. Otis, the 13-year-old yellow lab, goes big in everything he does--affection, play, sympathy, and, um. . . flatulence. Pixie, the 3-year-old Yorkie/Schnauzer/Poodle mix, brings up the rear, although always from the front! Another rescue from a tough situation, she has firmly settled into her role as the pampered princess.

Jill's family includes 13-year-old yellow Lab Ferris, aptly named after the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off because she's just a little bit naughty and would totally ditch school for a day, but is ultimately a lovable sweetheart. Icarus, the social black cat, came to Jill's family as a rescue a few years back. He's missing half an ear due to frostbite when he was out on the mean streets of Madison, but we think it makes him look handsome and distinguished.

We believe the world is a better place with pets, and wholeheartedly support the work and mission of pet rescue organizations. That's why we're pleased to donate money from sales of our candles to Underdog Pet Rescue of Wisconsin. Check 'em out--and thanks for your interest in Reek Havoc!