Maker Spotlight: Meet Trish Dean Theragood of Milk and Cookies Wax Co.
Where nostalgia, creativity, and a little fragrance magic come together.
Some businesses begin with a carefully thought-out plan. Others begin with an unexpected spark of inspiration, a love of creating, and the courage to see where an idea might lead.
For Trish Dean Theragood, the creative heart behind Milk and Cookies Wax Co., it all started with a lifelong love of fragrance and a business name that seemingly came out of nowhere.
Today, after 15 years of creating, experimenting, and bringing imaginative fragrance collections to life, Trish has built a brand that's every bit as colorful, nostalgic, and wonderfully unique as she is.
We're excited to introduce her as part of our Indigo Fragrance Learning Lab Maker Spotlight Series, where we celebrate the creative people, small businesses, and inspiring stories that make our maker community so special.
A Love of Fragrance That Started Early
For Trish, fragrance has always been much more than something that simply smells good. It's woven into her childhood memories.
Growing up in the floral business, she was surrounded by beautiful scents from an early age. Her mother loved fragrance, and their home was filled with candles, potpourri, drawer sachets, simmer pots, and all kinds of wonderful aromas.
Their family flower shops eventually began carrying candles, too.
Looking back, it's easy to see how those early experiences helped shape her future, even if becoming a candle and wax maker wasn't something she originally envisioned.
When the opportunity to begin making candles unexpectedly presented itself, Trish discovered something she hadn't anticipated: she absolutely loved the creative process.
Fifteen years later, that passion is still going strong.
What's in a Name? A Little Milk, a Few Cookies, and a Whole Lot of Personality
One of the first things that catches your attention about Trish's business is its name.
And the story behind it might be our favorite part.
One day, while sitting at her computer in the kitchen, the words "Milk and Cookie Candle Company" simply popped into her head.
No brainstorming session. No long list of possibilities. Just one of those wonderfully unexpected creative moments.
Over the years, the business evolved into Milk and Cookies Wax Co., but the personality behind the name has remained the same.
Trish describes her style as cozy, nostalgic, cute, and a little kitschy, with a fun mix of 1950s drive-in charm and 1980s neon.
It's a brand built around happy memories, playful ideas, and fragrances that invite customers into an entirely different little world.
And really, isn't that part of what makes fragrance so special?
Creating Fragrances That Tell a Story
Ask Trish about her favorite part of the business, and the answer comes easily: fragrance blending.
She affectionately compares her approach to that of a mad scientist.
Rather than simply choosing one fragrance and calling it finished, Trish often begins with an idea, a character, a place, or a childhood memory.
Then she asks herself one very creative question:
From there, the experimenting begins.
A little of this. A little of that. Different combinations, unexpected pairings, and plenty of imagination until the finished blend captures the feeling she had in mind.
Her collections have drawn inspiration from storybooks, movies, pop culture, childhood experiences, and especially her beloved 1980s nostalgia.
Old shopping malls, neon lights, familiar places, and little moments from the past can all become the inspiration for something new.
For Trish, fragrance is a way of turning memories into something people can experience. And that's what makes her creations so much fun!
More Than Wax: Little Experiences in Every Fragrance
While Trish creates a variety of home fragrance products, her squeezable wax has become her signature bestseller.
Her customers are especially drawn to sweet, playful fragrance combinations.
Strawberry scents, birthday cake, cotton candy, grape soda, and seasonal apple blends are all recurring favorites.
One memorable customer favorite, Rainbow Unicorns Yummy, combined birthday cake, rainbow sherbet, marshmallow, and cotton candy into one deliciously imaginative blend.
It's the perfect example of Trish's creative philosophy.
She's not simply trying to recreate a familiar fragrance. She's creating an experience.
Something that might remind you of a favorite childhood treat, a happy memory, or a moment you hadn't thought about in years.
Her products are designed to make fragrance feel fun, personal, and just a little magical.
A Few Indigo Favorites (Because Choosing Just One Is Impossible!)
With Trish's love of experimenting with fragrances, we were curious to hear which Indigo Fragrance oils have earned a special place in her collection. And as any fragrance-loving maker can relate, narrowing down the favorites wasn't easy!
One fragrance that holds a special place in her collection is Lollipops, a favorite she continually reorders.
She's also a big fan of our apple fragrances, including Poison Apple, Mac Apple, Baked Apple, and Green Apple.
Other favorites include Rainbow Sherbet, Cotton Candy, Strawberry Shortcake, and Jell-O Poke Cake.
And while her playful, sweet fragrance combinations are certainly a big part of her signature style, Trish has also been exploring Indigo's laundry-inspired, amber, and woodsy fragrances.
We love seeing how makers take individual fragrance oils and transform them into something entirely their own.
That's one of the most exciting things about the maker community. Give several makers the same fragrance oils, and each one may create something completely different.
Trish is a wonderful example of just how far a little imagination and experimentation can go.
Fifteen Years of Creativity, Challenges, and Keeping Going
Like many small business owners, Trish's journey hasn't always been easy.
During her early candle-making days, there were times when things simply wouldn't turn out the way she'd hoped.
She remembers feeling frustrated enough to consider giving up.
But her late husband encouraged her to keep going, something she remains deeply grateful for today.
And even after 15 years, she admits that not every creative idea becomes an instant customer favorite.
Sometimes she'll create something she absolutely loves, convinced everyone else will be just as excited, only to discover that the response isn't quite what she imagined.
That's part of being a creator.
Over time, she's learned the importance of staying true to her own style instead of chasing every trend or trying to make what everyone else is making.
Her advice for other makers is simple:
It's wonderful advice, whether you've been making products for 15 days or 15 years.
Building a Community, Not Just a Customer List
For Trish, social media is about much more than promoting products.
Her private Facebook group, Friends of Milk and Cookie Candle Company, has become a gathering place where she can connect with customers, share new collections, offer behind-the-scenes glimpses, and simply have fun.
She shares photos, trivia, product releases, and little pieces of the creative process.
Instagram gives her another opportunity to bring the colorful visual personality of Milk and Cookies to life.
Rather than simply introducing a product, Trish enjoys creating an entire theme and atmosphere around her collections.
It's a great reminder that customers aren't always connecting with just the product itself.
They're connecting with the person, the creativity, and the story behind it.
Just One More Fragrance Oil...
We had to ask Trish one question that we're fairly certain every fragrance maker will appreciate.
How many "just one more" fragrance bottles are hiding in her collection?
Her answer?
And naturally, there's always one more fragrance she absolutely needs for that very specific blend she has in mind.
Sound familiar?
We have a feeling quite a few members of our Indigo maker community are smiling and nodding right now.
After all, there really is no such thing as having too many fragrance possibilities when inspiration strikes!
A Little Advice From One Maker to Another
When asked what she'd tell someone who's just beginning their creative journey, Trish returned to something that has guided her through her own years in business.
Don't give up.
Learn, experiment, ask questions, and don't be afraid to try something different.
Most importantly, don't get so caught up in what everyone else is doing that you lose sight of what makes your own creations special.
It's a message worth remembering in a world where trends move quickly and comparisons are easy to make.
Your creativity, your perspective, and your experiences are what make your business uniquely yours.
And sometimes, the ideas that seem a little unusual at first turn out to be the ones that make your brand unforgettable.
Where to Find Milk and Cookies Wax Co.
Want to explore Trish's wonderfully nostalgic world of fragrance?
Visit Milk and Cookies Wax Co. at:
You can also find her Facebook community, Friends of Milk and Cookie Candle Company, where she shares new releases, collections, behind-the-scenes fun, and updates.
Whether you're a fellow maker looking for inspiration or someone who simply loves creative home fragrances, Milk and Cookies is a delightful example of what happens when imagination takes the lead.
Celebrating the Makers Behind the Magic
Here at Indigo Fragrance, one of the things we love most is seeing how our fragrance oils become part of someone else's creative story.
Every maker brings their own ideas, personality, and imagination to the process, and the results are as wonderfully different as the people creating them.
Trish's story reminds us that a small idea can grow into something meaningful, that creativity doesn't always follow a straight path, and that doing what you love can be its own wonderful adventure.
We're grateful to Trish for sharing her story, her enthusiasm, and a little glimpse into the colorful world of Milk and Cookies Wax Co.
And we'll leave you with one final thought inspired by her journey:
Thank you, Trish, for being part of our Indigo Fragrance maker community and for reminding us that a little imagination can turn into something truly special.
