A Glowing Endorsement

Singer Elton John has brought to light his passions for candles and for helping others. John, with assistance from a home-fragrance manufacturer, is the namesake for a new scented candle.

The Elton candle, the latest addition to the Slatkin & Co. home fragrance collection, is scented with a mixture of flowers selected by the singer.

John chose a bouquet of hyacinth, freesia, jasmine and rose for his candle ($54), which is housed in a glass container featuring the singer’s signature and a gold-plated lid monogrammed with his initials.

Francois Huet’s 18th century painting “Putti Blowing Bubbles,” part of John’s private art collection, is the inspiration for the candle’s packaging.

“I can’t imagine a room without candles,” John said in a statement. “They are part of my everyday life whether I am at home or on the road. I know many people share my enthusiasm for scented candles.”

John chose to be involved with this project because he wanted to raise money to help those living with HIV and AIDS. A portion of proceeds from candle sales will go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which was founded to provide direct patient-care services, including meal delivery programs, pediatric treatment centers, hospice care, legal aid and more.

Since its inception, the foundation has distributed more than $13 million for AIDS care.

The candle is available at Neiman Marcus Fashion Island. (888) 443-5866.

Candidly Speaking

Picture this: a photo album you can share with family and friends without leaving the house--or having them over.

My-Kids.com is a service offered by My-Website Inc. It allows parents to share pictures of their children on the Internet. No online experience is necessary--all you do is send to the service five photos and the completed form in a prepaid mailer. A staff of designers at My-Kids.com will create a customized, password-protected Web site.

It’s the perfect way to keep faraway relatives updated with pictures of the kids.

The photos can be viewed on the Web site individually or as a slide show. A guest book allows your family and friends to leave messages at the site. And the password ensures that only authorized visitors can access the site.

Fifteen personalized announcement cards, which have the Web site address and password printed on them, are included in the service (about $50).

With some simple instructions, parents can personalize the site by changing the photo captions and selecting alternate design themes.

My-Kids.com can be ordered through the Web at https://www.my-kids.com or by calling (800) 638-5382.

Talk Soup

Chat with the cooking industry’s most sought-after chefs, authors, critics and experts in a new free series on the Web.

CuisineNet, one of the most comprehensive online food and restaurant sources, features a chat room.

In September, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger will talk about salsas, spices and seasoning techniques. Milliken and Feniger, owners of two Los Angeles restaurants, City Cafe and Border Grill, have written four cookbooks, host the radio show “Good Food,” and are the featured hosts on the TV Food Network show “Too Hot Tamales.”

Milliken and Feniger will chat Sept. 23 from 6 to 7 p.m. at https://www.cuisinenet.com.