Bee American Candle

06/20/2026

Hey friends 🐝

I’ve had a few people ask lately if I’ll be back at the Gastonia Farmers Market this summer, and I figured it was time for an update.

Honestly, I don’t know yet. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’ve been a busy bee 😅 Between being home with my two bee cubs full-time, fighting neuropathy flare-ups, and moving houses, I’ve had my hands full. At the moment, most of Bee American Candle is still in boxes - burning to find its place in the new house 🥴

I miss being a vendor at the market more than I can put into words. I miss seeing everyone, sharing what I’ve been creating, and being part of the market.

BUT - I haven’t disappeared! I’m still at the market whenever I can be there either shopping with my littles or volunteering, but always cheering on our local vendors. The Gastonia Farmers Market is a community that means so much to me, and I love supporting it even when I’m not at my booth.

I don’t know when I’ll make it back as a vendor this summer, but Bee American isn’t going anywhere - it’s just getting better!

Thank you for checking in on me 🫶
Thank you for supporting my business 🙏
And thank you for supporting the market and all of the wonderful people who make it so amazing🤘🙌

Bee well, Bee safe, Bee kind 🫶
💛,
Maddie

04/01/2026

Hey 🐝 buddies 💛

I had the intention to kick off market season with some gorgeous pieces but life happened. So I’m taking a little break from selling at markets to focus on my health and my cubs.

You’ll still find me buzzing around the Gastonia Farmers Market, especially this weekend (April 4th, opening day!).

I’m donating a basket for the raffle at The Rooster this Saturday for Hope United Survivor Network & The Cathy Mabry Cloninger Center: A Domestic Violence Shelter benefit concert 💛 This cause is really close to my heart, and I’m grateful to support survivors of domestic violence in a small way.

I’ll be posting some of my pieces for sale here - if you’re interested in purchasing, please reach out as my website is not currently taking orders.

Thanks for sticking with me—you all mean more than you know ✨

03/21/2026

So thankful for The Rooster holding this benefit for Hope United Survivor Network and the The Cathy Mabry Cloninger Center: A Domestic Violence Shelter - as a DV Survivor, this event means so much to me. I will be donating a basket of products such as candles, soap and some other goodies to help raise money for this very important cause. 💛 Please consider attending this benefit show on April 4th.

Bee the light 💛 Kindness is the brightest light in the dark 🫶🙏🫶

👀🔥📢HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!📢🔥👀

Saturday, April 4th, The Rooster is teaming up with , & .flowermadhattorproduction for A Different Course of Action: A Benefit for & The Cathy Mabry Cloninger Center: A Domestic Violence Shelter

Joining the festivities and providing entertainment for the day will be &

Music will rotate throughout the event between the indoor stage and outdoor stage.

, a non-profit organization that provides help with mental health for music fans, will also be on site. will have vendors on site. There will also be a food truck!

Doors open at 4pm, Music begins at 5pm. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 day of show and 100% of ticket sales will be donated to Hope United and The Shelter in addition to all funds raised through the raffles that will take place throughout the day and donations. All Ages welcome.

Tickets are available now on our website!

03/14/2026

It’s almost market season 🥰🥰🥰

See you there!!

03/12/2026

Meet Maddie Kirlin, artisan and founder of this woman-owned business. It’s an honor to be spotlighted for Women’s History Month and to share the heart behind the craft.

Bee the light — kindness is the brightest light in the dark. 💛🐝🫶

In honor of , we are going to be featuring strong women that help shape our community all month long. This week we are featuring Maddie Kirlin:

Maddie Kirlin is a native of Gastonia, North Carolina, where her love of community, creativity, and history first took root.

She attended the University of Colorado Boulder, earning her undergraduate degree in Italian before continuing her studies at Middlebury College in Vermont, where she completed a master’s degree in Italian linguistics. After graduate school, Maddie spent several years living in Italy, deepening her connection to language, culture, and traditional craft.

Eventually she returned home to Gastonia and became deeply involved in her community. Over the years she has served as Chairwoman of the Board for the Gaston County Museum of Art & History, President of the Gaston County Jaycees, and as a board member for both the American Red Cross and the Animal League of Gaston County. She continues to share her love of traditional craft as an active member of the Historic Village Artisans, where she demonstrates traditional candle making at the Historic Village in Dallas, NC.

In 2017, Maddie survived a life-threatening brain hemorrhage that required emergency craniotomy surgery. The injury, resulting from domestic violence, permanently changed the course of her life. She lives with ongoing PTSD and neuropathy, challenges that require strength, patience, and daily resilience.

Today, Maddie is first and foremost a mother to two young children, whom she raises with deep intention, love, and care. When her health allows, she continues her creative work making candles and soaps, finding healing and meaning in the quiet rituals of craft.

Her message to other women:

You don’t have to wait for permission to step into your own life.

You are allowed to change.
You are allowed to start over.
You are allowed to create a life that feels true to you — even if no one around you understands it yet.

Strength doesn’t always look like doing more. Sometimes it looks like healing. Sometimes it looks like protecting your peace and choosing a different path than the one you expected.

If you are surviving something difficult — seen or unseen — know this: your story is not over.

Be the light. In a dark world, kindness shines the brightest.

01/14/2026

I’m entering a building season 🌱

Online sales are paused while I restructure my business, refresh inventory, and create new offerings. This pause is intentional and necessary—space to refine, improve, and dream a little bigger.

The website will not be taking orders during this time, but I’ll be back at the start of market season with a renewed vision and a full lineup of fresh products.

Thank you for your patience, encouragement, and continued support—it truly means everything.

01/10/2026

Bee on the look out 🫶🙏

A yellow-legged hornet nest was found in South Carolina near Charlotte.

This invasive species does not pose an increased risk to humans (the risk of stings is similar to other native relatives), but they are dangerous to honey bees. This species will actively hunt honey bees and destroy hives, making it a destructive pest for beekeepers.

Be on the lookout for the yellow-legged hornet in North Carolina. Find out how to report a sighting: http://ncst.at/kxGj50XUcy3