Akron Life July 2023

READERS’ PICKS

BEST PUBLIC GOLF COURSE 1. Mayfair

BEST NEW INDEPENDENT

STORE (LAST 12 MONTHS) 1. Mainstream Boutique, Hudson 2. Mythical Bookworm 3. All Paths Merge BEST DANCE STUDIO 1. All About Dance by Kristen 2. Dianna Durkin Dance Studio 3. Sheena’s Platinum Movements

Country Club 2. Raintree Golf and Event Center 3. Fox Den Golf Course

BEST RADIO SHOW HOST 1. Joyce

Johnson, WKSU 89.7 2. Keith Kennedy, 98.1 KDD 3. Matt Spatz & Amanda Casey, 97.5 WONE Erie Canal Towpath Trail 2. Buckeye Trail 3. Sand Run Metro Park, Dogwood Trail BEST BIKE SHOP 1. Eddy’s Bike Shop 2. Ernie’s Bike Shop 3. Marty’s Bike Shop BEST CAR DEALERSHIP 1. Serra Auto Park 2. Fred Martin Superstore 3. Montrose Ford BEST TRAIL 1. Ohio &

BEST DENTIST 1. Dr. Robert Zavodny, Zavodny Dental 2. Dr. Winnie

BEST TRICK CANDLE AKRON LIGHTS CANDLE CO.

Wong, Barsan, Stefan & Wong Family Dental

3. Dr. Robert Brandhorst, CreekSide Family Dentistry BEST EYE CARE 1. Uniontown 2. Davis Eye Center 3. Visioncare Associates

A chargrilled patty topped with melting cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles between buttery buns — this cheeseburger may look good enough to eat, but it’s actually a candle. Kimberly Ochsenbein hand molds each faux ingredient once her all-natural soy wax is cool enough to touch. Then she paints it with wax dye and adds a cotton wick to create the ultra-realistic honey-butter roll-scented candle. The process takes a whopping 15 hours. “It’s a lot of work, a lot of patience,” says the owner of Akron Lights Candle Co., which she started in 2021. If you’re craving sweet aromas, light a candle that looks like a slice of strawberry cheesecake, a jarred birthday cake candle

or an Oreo cookie-shaped wax melt. The double-walled candle based on Starbucks’ strawberry and coconut milk Pink Drink refresher is complete with ice cubes made from gel wax molded in an ice cube tray, sur rounded by light pink soy wax. Some of Ochsenbein’s TikTok videos of the strawberries-and cream-scented candle, which started as a subscription-based candle of the month and is now offered year-round, have gotten tens of thousands of views each, with comments pouring in. “The majority of them are like, Oh my gosh, I can’t even believe that ,” she says. “I had already sold 536 units within 10 min utes of releasing it.” akronlightscandleco.com

Vision Center

BEST FLORIST 1. Savoir

BEST CLOTHING STORE

Faire Event Planning

1. The Grey Colt 2. Allie M. Designs 3. Rubber City Clothing

2. The

Greenhouse 3. Dietz Floral Studio

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akronlife.com | JULY 2023

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