There are moments in life that leave a lingering fragrance in your memory — a scent that stays with you long after the moment has passed.
This collection came from one of those moments.
A couple of years ago, my family and I relocated from Washington to Texas after my husband received new military orders. It was the summer before my oldest daughter’s senior year — the daughter my company is named after — and everything in our lives felt like it was shifting at once.
She’s a dedicated dancer, and with Texas high school dance team tryouts happening in May (while she was still competing in Washington), we had to get creative. She learned two full routines in just three days, filmed what felt like hundreds of videos, and auditioned virtually. In the end, she made both teams. My mama heart still swells thinking about it.
Once we finally settled into our new home, she received an invitation to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. So we packed up our family of five, boarded a plane, and created a weekend filled with memories we’ll treasure forever.
After the parade, we wandered down Madison and Fifth Avenues — the city glowing with the start of the holiday season. That’s when I smelled it.
The fragrance that would change everything.
It was the most beautiful scent I had ever experienced: evergreens and pine mingling with warm spices, a touch of citrus, and a whisper of berries.
It felt festive, nostalgic, elegant… like the holidays were breathing in and out around us.
But none of the stores we passed had that fragrance. No candles. No diffusers. Nothing.
For days afterward, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I started googling desperately, wondering if I had imagined it — until I discovered the truth.
Nest NYC had partnered with the city to place tiny diffusers inside the decorated topiary trees lining the sidewalks. Those little holiday displays were releasing scent on a timer, filling the air with magic.
And suddenly… I understood why the scent felt so emotional.
It reminded me of:
– passing out gifts on the floor of my grandma’s living room with her real Christmas tree towering above us
– sipping hot cocoa and sneaking gingerbread cookies fresh from the oven
– decorating cookies for Santa with my daughters, even now that they’re “big girls”
– the simmer pot I always put on the day after Halloween as I prepare our home for the holidays
All of those memories — warm, happy, nostalgic — became the inspiration behind Holiday Memories, my 2025 holiday collection.
I didn’t want to just create candles.
I wanted to bottle feelings.
I wanted each fragrance to reflect a moment from a life worth remembering — a cozy corner of the past that still glows brightly today.
Holiday Memories isn’t just a collection.
It’s my heart in wax and scent.
And I’m honored to finally share the story with you.
Thank you for being here.
For reading this.
For letting my memories become a small part of your own holiday season.
Warmly,
Sophia
Founder, The Willow Tree Co
