Candles seem like a kind of magical home decor item, don’t you think?

They come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, some of them smell truly divine, and they have the ability to instantly change the mood of any room. Magic!

What’s even better is that they make a great gift item for almost anyone. With that in mind, I headed to Waxman Candles, 609 Massachusetts St., to check out the goods and get a few holiday gift ideas.

This was my first visit to Waxman, and I was certainly impressed with the sheer number of candles housed in this impressive space.

Find Waxman Candles at 609 Massachusetts St., 843-8593, waxmancandles.com.

Hundreds of candles are spread across the floor, organized neatly by theme, color or type. Indeed, there are holiday candles (i.e. snowmen, winter themes, pinecones, Christmas trees, gingerbread people, santas, and more), Kansas-themed candles (i.e. Kansas silhouettes, sunflowers, hay bales, Jayhawks, etc.), votives, tapers and even soy candles. On the rare occasion that you don’t find what you’re looking for here, Waxman takes special requests so that you can get exactly what you want.

A Lawrence staple for over 40 years now, it is no wonder Waxman Candles offers truly exquisite candles and is prepared to satisfy customer needs and requests. Each candle here is made entirely on site, and has exceptional burning quality and fragrance. Speaking of, Waxman offers over 300 fragrances available, some of the more popular being apple spice, rain, vanilla, sunflower and orange ginger.

Considering all this, I can understand why the store’s customer base is so robust. When chatting with the store associate during my visit, I was told that even Lawrence expats make sure to return to Waxman for candle orders and store visits.

My stop at Waxman was supposed to be a quick 15-minute visit to browse the store and get some basic ideas for holiday gifts. Instead, I found myself dancing from one themed display to the next, unable to pull myself away from the creative wax figurines.

I was in awe of the detail found in the craftsmanship of the candles, and had to take a few home (both for me, and for loved ones). I picked up a few taper candles, along with a few winter-themed candles as a gift. Thirty minutes later, with $48.92 worth of candles in hand, I reluctantly left the store. Obviously, Waxman Candles is a winning choice for gift items and holiday cheer!

— Jessica Pauly, aka Mrs. Mass., gives her thoughts on shopping, urban living and what’s new in Lawrence in CheckOut weekly and on her blog, mrsmass.com.