Sponsor Shout Out: ForGoodnessGrape

Hi all!

I'm sure you guys have noticed that I got my first sponsor this month (if you haven't, check out the ad on my right sidebar). I thought you would like to read and know more about my lovely sponsor, so I had Lisa, owner of ForGoodnessGrape, write up a little about herself and then we had a little Q&A so you could all get to know her and her shop a little better! Here goes!

"Hi, I’m Lisa, the owner/artisan of ForGoodnessGrape. I have always loved lip balm and perfume for as long as I can remember. Always been a crafter and entrepreneur at heart and have always loved handmade. I decided I wanted to make excellent products using premium ingredients, offer them at reasonable prices and share the thought that feeling beautiful should be fun. I think I’ve accomplished this.

I love the indie artisan way of life and the creativity it allows me. I am passionate about natural ingredients and found a way to utilize nature to bring beauty to others. Being absorbed in natural and handmade products really opens your eyes and you end up knowing that natural and handmade are what’s best for your body and for our world. As an indie business, ForGoodnessGrape is very earth friendly and I try to give back to my community and to share the rewards of this wonderful life.

I have been on Etsy exclusively since my opening in April 2010. To date, I’ve sold over 5,500 items thanks to all of my wonderful and loyal customers! I wanted to be able to share my passion with more people so in April 2012 (on my 2 year anniversary) I launched my own website - www.ForGoodnessGrape.com. No…I'm not going to leave Etsy. Who would have known I could have made so many friends through Etsy. It is a GRAPE place to shop.

Oh and you may wonder how ForGoodnessGrape got its name. Well…I’ll share that too. I was making a grape flavored lip balm one day. When it came time to name it, guess what popped into my head? You guessed it! ForGoodnessGrape. I know sometimes my names may seem a little silly but hey, like I said, you've just gotta have some fun! And there you have it.

My direct shop is located at:
www.ForGoodnessGrape.com

And of course my Etsy shop at:
www.ForGoodnessGrape.Etsy.com "

I created some questions that I thought you all may want to know the answers to, I hope you enjoy!

Lip Balm Wrangler: What got you into making handmade/homemade bath products?
Lisa: Well, I have always been a total lip balm addict for as long as I can remember and like you, and many of my customers, I've tried them all. Once I tried all natural and handmade bath and body products I was hooked and the idea of making them myself was very intriguing and seemed like a "natural" fit.

So I bought all the books I could get my hands on, searched the internet up and down and read even more. Asked other artisans and family for feedback. Lots of recipes and tons of practice later I opened my first Etsy shop called My Spa Secrets. I loved making pretty soaps but something was missing...my first love...Lip Balm.

Lip Balm Wrangler: What is your personal favorite bath & body product?
Lisa: I would have to say a cold processed soap made with lots of skin loving butters and oils. Once I tried one I was hooked.

Lip Balm Wrangler: What is your favorite lip balm flavor of the balms available in your shop?
Lisa: How did I know you'd ask that? Well I do have a couple of favorites that I can't live without. First is Earl Grey Tea. I keep this one in my kitchen in a very handy spot and use it numerous times throughout the day. Second is Vanilla Rose. I keep this one in my makeup cabinet and it's the first one I put on after brushing my teeth in the morning. A few that are in my purse now that I really love are Real Rose Lip Essentials, Orange Hibiscus, Huckleberry Honey Lip Candy Lip Balms.

Lip Balm Wrangler: Where do you get your biggest inspirations from for your lip balm flavors?
Lisa: Most of them just pop into my head. I keep a running list in a notepad app on my phone so that as I think of them I can jot them down. Also I'd say baked goods and drinks are my biggest sources of inspiration. I'm always thinking about lip balms.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and getting to know Lisa a little better. Also to save 15% on your purchase you can use the code LIPBALMWRANGLER.

Thank you again, Lisa, for sponsoring me!

--Christina