It is not everyday that you walk into a bathroom and go "OOH! What is that fabulous scent? I would love to stay in here for HOURS."

And yet both times that I've been to Marlow & Sons, I've thought exactly that, and gone hunting for the source. And both times, it was this Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day candle.

It is delicious.

And cheapcheapcheap.

On reader Jennifer's recommendation, Kendrick and I spent part of our rainy Saturday afternoon at Stonewall Kitchen. They're the ones who make those gorgeous jams and sauces you find in fancy shops, but the store sells all kinds of fantastic stuff, from coastal-scented candles to gold starfish door-knockers (!) to Sodastreams and Le Creusets.

My favorite finds:

Lavender Laundry Sachets (toss them in your dryer with wet clothing to leave it beautifully scented)

This pretty little shop, which Kendrick and I stumbled upon yesterday on our day trip to Cold Spring, smells exactly how I want my apartment to smell at all times. It's filled with burlap sacks packed with buckwheat and lavender, house-made essential oils, gorgeous linen waters (which, sure, you can DIY, but I couldn't help but buy one for our bedside table), and racks and racks of bath products packaged in tea-colored glass bottles.

My favorite finds:

Woodland Rose Vanilla Oak Body Lotion ($22); Hudson Fragrance Oil ($30, a springy blend of citrus and vetiver; call the store to order); Woodland Rose Mimosa & Rosehip Oil Eye Creme ($40)

I can't believe it's taken me this long to mention this company - I've literally been meaning to tell you guys about it since last November, when my Dad and I stopped into the store near Rockefeller Center looking for Christmas presents for my mother and pretty much bought the place out.

Rain Africa produces beautiful, highly gift-able bath and home products using indigenous African flowers and medicinal plants. Everything is hand-made in a small, rural factory with the hopes of providing employment opportunities and decreasing poverty in Southern Africa...and everything is something that you'll want (or will want to give to someone).

I wish I could ship these products to all of you myself; they just smell...and feel...and look that incredible. My favorites are those little round balls that you see in the above image: called "Earth Eggs," they're basically tiny bath bombs filled with cocoa butter and coated with herbs and seeds (the company also sells little muslin pouches to collect the herbs in in case you don't want them floating about your bathtub).

A very cool service they offer: you can bring in your own jar (or buy a reusable one in the store) and customize a scrub using the company's range of oils, "actives" (things like green tea, ginger, lavender, and rosehip), essences, and bases. Gorgeous, fun, and eco-friendly.