A scent from the south has wafted into Redmond with the opening of Lil Southern Flare at 215 SW Sixth St. on Nov. 15. The candle and self-care store offers a wide variety of specialty candles “only from the south,” along with other items — some coming in a Cajun scent.

“We named it Lil Southern Flare because it brings something unique to the Pacific Northwest,” said owner Jim Laurell. “That southern charm.”

Jim and Paige Laurell moved to Redmond about two months ago from southern Texas. They visited Maine before having their first child about 12 years ago, after Maine won a coin toss over Oregon for a vacation. After deciding to move from San Antonio, they chose Oregon since they had never been. Jim did some research and marked the map at Bend, but once they visited in person it was still too big. So the Laurells traveled a couple miles north and laid stake in Redmond.

“It keeps you out of the cut a little bit, so to say,” Jim said.

Jim comes from nearly 20 years working in the oil field, and he and his wife wanted a slower lifestyle with a city that matched.

Within the first month they found a place to live and began looking for a retail location. After a week’s search, they found their current location and spent the last month finding candle vendors and tweaking the store to their liking. They had an electronic cigarette store in San Antonio, but decided on candles because the e-cig community in Central Oregon isn’t as large as they are used to.

“Candles are in every single home in America,” Jim said. “So it makes it simple, and we can bring small candle businesses from down south that you can’t get up here.”

Included with their selection of southern made candles are essential oils, scrubs, bath salts, reed diffusers, soap and more. Some candles are higher end, including Amy’s Country Candles, which are hand poured in Louisiana. Candles range from $3 to a $160, 60-ounce candle that comes in its own glass vase.

“So far we’ve been successful,” Jim said. “But now it’s time to get the word out because you can always go to Wal-Mart and get a Yankee candle, but there isn’t another place you can get the candles that we have.”

The Laurells plan to keep a rotating stock of candles and are open to any suggestions of new vendors. They hope to have new items in a couple times a month after getting settled.

When Jim was in the oil industry, his job required moving regularly based off open positions. While he didn’t mind the moving, he said he plans to remain in Oregon for the foreseeable future.

During their short time in Redmond so far, the Laurells have become accustomed to calling it home.

“We love it,” Jim said. “The people, the schools, the city — we just love it. It’s been very nice.”

To go along with southern Cajun scents is a small display of jambalaya and gumbo mixes. They also sell a hurricane drink mix, which Jim said brings a little taste of the south to the Pacific Northwest.

— Reporter, 541-548-2185, cbrown@redmondspokesman.com