Monday, August 09, 2004

WWMD

WWMD - What would Martha do?

I had a serious domestic dilemna to contend with yesterday.  I refer you to picture number one as evidence of said dilemna.  One of three of my votive candles had burned to the bottom.  But, what to do?  Throw it away?  No, that's just what "they" would want me to do.  I know, I'll use a knife and drop in a new candle (see picture number two).  Alas, as you can see by picture number three, that metal wick thingy (technical term) would not break free.

I was distraught.  I couldn't have just two candles flickering on my bathroom ledge.  They were a set. I struggled and strained but couldn't get the booger out.  I tried plopping a new candle on top but it wouldn't sit down level.  I felt lost.  With Martha busy preparing for jail, there was no one to call.  I sat and I pondered, "What would Martha do?" Aha! I'll find a way to melt the wax. So, I boiled some water in my nifty blue tea kettle and placed my votive holder in a bowl of the boiling water (see picture number four).  I easily popped that metal thingy out. Much to my joy, I was able to return the wayward votive to its home on the bathroom shelf (see picture number five).

One more domestic crisis averted.  Heck, who needs Martha, when you've got me?

Note: You would think that glass that holds a hot burning wax would be tempered to resist heat.  Think again!  When the cold glass votive hit the boiling water, it cracked (see picture number six).  I suggest putting warm tap water in glass to warm it up before dropping it in boiling water.  However, the glass bowl held up just fine.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just think about the votives in the back of a church.  Well, many years ago I was given the duty of getting the spent wax out of the bottom.  Linda comes over to me and says,"Stick them all in the freezer for awhile and they'll just pop out." Try that next time instead of the boiling water. -Mimi

Anonymous said...

Robbie, you can also put the votive in your freezer for a short time and when you take it out you should be able to easily dislodge the candle debris....just call me Susie Homemaker...

Anonymous said...

All hail to the domestic diva! Well, I sure wish you had done this post before today ... after reading about your dilemma (and the comments that were posted) I could have averted having actually cut my hand on broken glass from trying so darn hard to get the metal wick thingy out (see, I use the same technical terminology) just a couple of weeks ago! I too used a knife and just a tad bit too much force from the hand that was holding such and the votive ended up breaking right into my palm. Ouch!
Cool votives, by the way!
~Kelly

Anonymous said...

I like those votive holders! Very cool...
-B

Anonymous said...

Robbie   you amaze me with the pics and stories.  I always just hold them under hot tap water and it seems to work   john

Anonymous said...

I hear there is an opening in her company, maybe you could apply!! Ha!

Anonymous said...

Robbie, it's a small AOL-J world after all.  Those candles are the the same ones I posted in my journal earlier this morning!

http://journals.aol.com/pollysci/randomness/entries/664

I have that set and am fast approaching this very conundrum.  

Thanks for the tip! It's a good thing. :D

~tara :)

Anonymous said...

I'm so allergic to candles, looking at them made me sneeze! LOL!

Anonymous said...

Well aren't you the smart one? Reminds me of a round I had with a candle once when I was a young bride. Paula

Anonymous said...

Oh my god, I am mortified that Sully and I had the same response for you!  When did I get domestic?  No, actually, it is need to know basis.  I am a fanatical candle-burner/collector. I have a misbehaving votive holder in my freezer from 8 days ago, now that I think of it.  Perhaps I should try the heated approach.
Really, Robbie--you had me on the edge of my seat with this one!  :-)
~~mumsy

Anonymous said...

Wow, now THATS gettin' crafty! LOL! You should try to find someone who sells PartyLite candles, the way they burn is such that they completely consume, and all that is left is a non-stuck-to-the-bottom-metal-thingie. And they completely liquefy too, which is tres cool. OK, I have to stop selling candles now lol. "One more domestic crisis diverted"... LOL! :)
~Mary

Anonymous said...

Nice holders, I love the pattern.  

Being sort of a domestic diva myself, I have to say that before I got to the end of your entry, I was already thinking the same solution that you thought about.  I think that's what's fun about keeping house.  Sometimes you have these little puzzles that need solving; good for getting those creative cells going.  =P

Anonymous said...

wow, lovely votive candles, I like them.
Glad to see your kicking some butt around the house. :)
go robbie!!

Anonymous said...

I'm reading this thing, going, "Okay, Robbie, just dunk it in some hot water..."  You figured it out, you clever thing!  LOL!  Lisa  :-]

Anonymous said...

What would Martha Do? She'd use the remaining candle, some match-heads and a silver dime to weld a spoon to a knife so she can begin digging her way out of her cell like Clint Eastwood in Escape From Alcatraz.

Anonymous said...

Yea Robbie!
V

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tips!
Sorry the candle holder broke.  : (
Lovish!
Connie

Anonymous said...

Funny, I thought for sure the votive would crack in the water - but couldn't see evidence of that.  Even in that last picture, it's difficult to locate the crack.  Nice job.  The votives are beautiful.  [just be careful now of leaking hot wax from the cracked one].  Apparently ice is supposed to be a great wax remover.  ::shrug::

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, thanks for the tip!  I burn candles all the time too and especially love the votives.  I would have just taken my trusty ole' lighter to the bottom of the votive until it unstuck and fell out, but the freezer method I read in the comments is a pretty good one!  I will use that in the future.  Thanks for enlightening us non-Martha's of the world!
Hugs and love, Lisa

Anonymous said...

Martha has an entire staff of people who dream up her ideas.  We just have "us."  That means we rock more.  And we get to wear regular clothes too.  I guess she'll be missing her featherbed in prison, huh?  Pity.  :(

Anonymous said...

I thought WWMD was going to mean "Women: Weapons of Mass Destruction"

Anonymous said...

You learned the hard way, but you have learned!  Kristi

Anonymous said...

oh no! I wish I would have r3ead this earlier!
I change 90 votive candles everyday for work...seriously.
when your candles run out again, grab a butter knife, break the wax up, dump it out and squirt a drop of water in there, or just spray some Pam.
Then shoot a candle in there and Ta-Da!
I recommend, Yankee Candle, Clean Cotton!
Kathleen