Check out this new cool site on flavor.com.  Great way to put all my links together in one place!   Natural Grace.

Finally after month’s of waiting for our little bundle to arrive.. This little darlin’ made his big debut.. Meet Luke! Born 8/3… so my posts may be sparce for awhile…

Hi y’all!  I am feeling crafty today so I made a new blog button.  Feel free to snag it and share!  

Here is the code:  <center>
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<img alt=”The Natural Gourmet Blog”title=”The Natural Gourmet”
src=http://naturalgraceorganics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Blog-Button-New.png”
style=”border: 0px solid ; width: 125px; height: 125px;” align=”middle” hspace=”0″ vspace=”0″></a></center>

I have to admit that when I first opened my Etsy Shop in November of 2008 I didn’t get it.  I had just found out about the site, Etsy.com, and had no clue what it was about other than it allowed me to sell the goods I made by hand.  At first I was all excited because it looked pretty cool, was relatively inexpensive and I thought it would help me generate some sales.  So one evening I uploaded a few product pictures and descriptions and anxiously waited for some sales.

The next day I went looking on Etsy for my product listings and found that they had been buried in a sea of other products.  I was heartbroken and immediately gave up.  To be honest now looking back I realize that at that time my photos looked like crap, I didn’t really put much effort into my descriptions and I didn’t even have a banner for my store.  I have to laugh now at that.. what the heck was I thinking?

Now after a few years have past I finally understand what it is all about. It’s not just about the sale of a product but about the presentation and representation of a lifestyle…an artisan showcase.  For myself my work is my passion and a true artist wants nothing short of perfection when showing off a product from start to finish.  In the past few month’s I have put a real effort into getting my shop looking great from shop appearance to profile to photos.  I spend more time these days on photos and descriptions than ever and I have to say I am hooked on the whole process.

Uploading my photos is a real joy for me.  I get the warm fuzzies when my product pictures turn out great and I click that ‘finish’ button.  Not to mention when someone ‘hearts’ my item.. Woohoo!  It’s like being handed a warm chocolate chip cookie unexpectedly.

Another great aspect of selling products within a community like Etsy is how much the other shop owners support each other.  I have found that we all share a love for handmade products and we are our own cheerleaders so to speak.  Encouraging each other, helping each other out with tips-n-tricks and giving newbies such as myself advice on how to generate some business.  It all makes sense to me now.  It’s like a quaint little market street where people can spend the day shopping at niche stores and delighting in their lovely finds.

Speaking of supporting each other.. check out this blog post called Love Handmade.  I was mentioned in this morning by a fellow Etsian Delightful Scents.  Her shop is lovely and so is she!

I’m proud to announce that on April 22, 2010 Natural Grace received a great review from the Eco Diva, Elena Lipson.  Elena is a freelance eco-lifestyle writer and consultant who gives an unbiased review of earth friendly products and services which is why it is an honor to be featured on her blog!   Elena sampled our Butter Creme Body Whip in Grapefruit Lush along with our Natural Olive Furniture Polish and Belly Saver Bar.

You can read the review here:  http://theecodiva.com/giveaway/day-4-earth-week-giveaway-coupons-from-bobowrap-and-natural-grace/

I am proud to announce that I have two new and perfectly delectable moisturizers if I do say so myself coming soon to Natural Grace!  I am so in love with these two beauties because they both work like a charm to hydrate and moisturize and both are made with simple ingredients.  Just the right blend makes all the difference in the world.  One is a super rich and creamy Cocoa Butter Lotion which I call…  ‘Rich-n-Creamy’, made with a generous heap of the finest Natural and unrefined Cocoa Butter and rich oil blend. To be listed on my website hopefully by tomorrow.  It seems I have run out of time for today and I haven’t figured out what’s for dinner yet.  Sven??  Where are you?  Yes I’m dreaming again about having a personal chef again…

Anyway the second is my all new Whipped Body Butter made with the best Organic and Fair Trade Shea Butter I can get my hands on and super vitamin rich Avocado and Sesame Oils…all whipped up to perfection and served up in a 4 oz. jar for ease of use.  Both make the perfect indulgence for the skin!  I cannot get enough…

I’m starting a Referral Program as a way to say thank-you when my customers refer a friend or family member to Natural Grace.  For each referral that results in a sale you will earn $5 NG Bucks.   Simple enough right?  Just have your friend (referral) give me your name when they place an order on either my website in the comments section or via my Etsy Shop (Convo me) and I will send you a coupon code which you can use towards your next purchase.  Just my way of saying thanks!

Calling all creative minds!  I would really like a new tag line for Natural Grace.  I have been using ‘Essentials for Healthy Skin’ since day one but I’ve never been really really 100% thrilled with it.  I like it but it is a little vague for me.

So I am asking for help on this one because I keep racking my brain day and night and I come up with a slew of ideas but nothing that I can settle on.  Join the fun!

I would like my tagline to be clever of course but also something that would encompass all or most of the qualities that my products possess which include the following:

• Fine Quality/Gourmet
• Safe/non-toxic
• Earth Friendly
• Essential, Effective, Useful
• Artistic, Unique, Distinctive
• Beautiful

So there you go!  Brainstorm away and fire ‘em at me!  I welcome all ideas..  I am holding this open for approximately 2 months or so.

If I pick a new tag line from any of the suggestions I receive I will send the winner a $25 gift certificate to Natural Grace.

You may either submit your ideas here under comments or email them to me at naturalgrace@twcny.rr.com.

Thanks so much!

These days if your smart you will stay away from buying chocolate for your sweetheart.  Yes it may be all dressed up in a pretty package but is that what she really wants?  Take it from me.. NO!  Us gals want the goods.. and Natural Skin Care Products are the way to go..   Ok Ok.. forgive the obvious plug.. but even if I didn’t make natural skin care products you can betcha I would be recommending them.  Here is what I made for this year….

Yep..  because I love furry little critters so much I felt that we should apply to be included in this great program.  The Leaping Bunny Program ensures that companies are committed to not only supplying cruelty free products but also that they only purchase their ingredients and supplies from cruelty free suppliers!  Sweet huh?

I have also gone and made the switch from using Beeswax to using Candelilla Wax as it is a plant based and (just as or more so) hydrating to the skin making our products completely Vegan as well!

I have loved animals ever since I was a kid.  In my life I’ve had cats, 2 Saint Bernards, aPoodle, a Husky mix, a Lab/Retriever mix, and my most beloved Rottweilers.  One was a mix with a German Shepard and he was a giant weighing in at around 150 lbs.  My last Rotty was the sweetest guy ever and tragically I lost him when he was only 2.5 years old to some wierd and rare disorder that I would never had known he had until suddenly he stopped eating.  One day fine,, a week later we had to put him down.  Poor Luca.. my long lost puppy..   Here are some pics of him.. he was such a ham!