About Amy: Amy Passantino is the founder of Estella Grace. She is an interior designer, food blogger, and author. Amy was born and raised in Wayne, New Jersey and received her Bachelor Degree in interior design back in 2002. She went on to work for renowned firms specializing in high-end residential design, which eventually led her to work on Brad Pitt’s ‘Make it Right’ Project in New Orleans. She helped thousands of people across the country with their homes while managing a national program, Color Makeover, for Benjamin Moore. She worked closely with consumers and spoke at events for House Beautiful Magazine. In 2012, she opened AEP Interior Design in Los Angeles where she designed coastal homes and used her knowledge of feng shui and color psychology to re-design healthcare facilities. Her biggest venture yet is Estella Grace - a vintage inspired brand that will help people get back to the heart of the home through an American Pie experience.

 

AP: I began developing this vintage-inspired brand about 2 years ago. I knew exactly the look, the smell, and how I wanted my products to make people feel. Originally I was just going to buy candles from local craft people and sell them, until one day I was talking to a friend of mine about buying some candles as gift. She turned to me and said "Why don't you just make them yourself? "  I had never thought about that before. From there I began researching candle recipes and developing my technique. Candle making is definitely not for everyone, but for me, it was a way to create some of my first products. Once I mastered the candles, I moved on to my homemade lotion bars. From my experience in working with candles I was able to know what scents would be perfect for my lotion bars. 

 

AP: I was raised in a generation where everything was sold in a store without any real understanding of where it came from. I remember the first time I made homemade preserves. I couldn’t believe how easy it was and how much better it tasted. I felt like I had been missing out on fresh foods for most of my life. My passion for homemaking grew from there. I began making my own apple butter, breads, and pies. Every time I got in the kitchen it was a new challenge on what I could create from scratch and I eventually began blogging and tailoring the recipes toward beginner cooks like myself. I believe there is something special about the act of sharing recipes and teaching that makes a home special. When I came up with the name Estella Grace I pictured this 1940's house wife as someone who would take us back in time to a simpler life. Estella means Star. She is ‘The Star of Grace’ empowering women and reminding us of our homemaking roots. She will teach us how to make things from scratch and have a new appreciation for items which are sometimes taken for granted. My hope is to inspire a new generation to focus on creating a home with meaning and purpose.

 

AP: Part of the Estella Grace experience is nostalgia and having those special scents that take you back in time. I drew inspiration for my fragrance candles and lotion bars with scents from my childhood like blueberry pie and banana bread. I also love the simplicity of the South and the down home scents that are yummy and delicious! Some of my recent favorites are peaches n' cream and strawberry lemonade. In addition to my fragrance candles I have created an Aromatherapy candle line which uses essential oils. Depending on the properties of the oils they can either relax you after a stressful day (Rosemary Lavender) or revive you if you have been feeling run down and need a boost of energy (Peppermint Fir.) They are a different type of candle that makes you feel good and all of the candles are 100% soy.

AP: Every girl remembers their time in the kitchen with their mother. That is why I created the 'Mommy and Me Aprons.'  Little girls love to be like their mother and these aprons will make them feel extra special! That is what it is all about, being in the kitchen and sharing memories. I want to continue creating mother-daughter products because they are the younger generation and it's important for them to learn and be apart of this teaching brand.

 

AP: I just designed my first Estella Grace dress. There will be 4 dress lines in total, each designed after an iconic woman from the 1940s-1950s.  The next step will be to create a line of organic fabrics perfect for homemaking. All of my products will be handmade in the USA. I think a consumer can feel the difference between an item that is handmade versus factory-made, and I intend to keep that human contact so my products are of the highest quality and always made with love.

 

 

AP: All of my products are my favorite. I envisioned each and every one of them before it was created and there is something so special about that process when you finally see it come to life. From the material selection, to the construction, and the packaging, I put my heart and soul into the final product you see. They all have a story to tell and I love that!

AP:I love all Etsy shops and what they stand for. There is something to be said for artists who are creating and inspiring people with their products. All of Estella Grace products are handmade in the USA and are made of the highest quality materials. I want customers to have that trust in my brand knowing we will always deliver on that promise.

AP: I look at Estella Grace as not just a brand, but a movement that will shift you into a mindset of quality versus quantity. I would like to get back to a community-oriented lifestyle offering baking, sewing, and gardening classes in our first country store. We can't wait to finally open the doors and give people the opportunity to have the Estella Grace experience.

 

Twitter Handle: @EstellagraceUSA

Instagram: @EstellagraceUSA

Website: www.estellagrace.com

 

 

One of the principles we teach in our Bradley Method® classes is to avoid harmful substances.  Whether you are TTC of already pregnant, it is important to think about your environment and reduce your exposure to chemicals, preservatives and toxins to the best of your ability.

Here are some of the ways our family and our students have made small changes that are making our homes and nurseries non-toxic for our pregnancies and our families.  Scroll down to the end of the post for descriptions and links if you want more information about the pictures below:

2. Locally-sourced organic, preservative-free face soap and shaving soap

 3. Unpaper towels and laundry soap nuts

Read more about greening after the Birth-Day on our sister blog, Sweet Pea Families.

Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and posted. 

1. Read about the nail polishes we use HERE

2. You can learn more about Zoaps HERE - we use her green tea face zoap and the shaving zoap - bonus: they're vegan!

3. Kate S. says: "Fabric paper towels (purchased through a co-op from a WAHM, but will be making my own from now on!!) and my soap nuts that I use for laundry. Forgot to include my wool dryer balls in the picture."

4. Kate S. says: "DIY dish soap, All purpose orange cleaner, glass cleaner, vinegar (which cleans stainless steel!), foaming handsoap (and DIY dispenser), bath salts, deodorant, vicks-like chest rub, toothpaste, tooth powder, powder foundation, bronzer, blush, mascara, and eyeliner. Everything is in glass except the mascara, blush, foundation, and bronzer. Those are in the containers my old makeup was in."  She's making the journey to a non-toxic, natural household including the beauty of oils (essential oils!)

5.  Read Chipotle's commitment to local, organic, non-GMO sources HERE.

6.  Read more about our Tower Garden and the other foods we grow HERE.

7.  Find your local farmer's markets HERE.

8.  Find out about how we greened our nursery HERE: we use cloth wipes with a non-toxic cleaning spray, and organic cotton wraps from Imse Vimse with Chinese pre-folds.

9.  Here's an SPB Sweet Pea with wearing his cloth diapers; drying in ths sun saves energy, deodorizes, and uses UV rays to sanitize them.  Mama is using cloth wipes from Shannon's Cloth and More, and she is making her own bum spray.  Dr. Bronner's is another great green choice for the nursery and the whole family.

 

We had a great time hosting Shannon  Gusé from Shannon's Cloth & More on Saturday. She shared some of her amazing products that are available when you are ready to green your kitchen, your nursery, and your personal care products.

New to her store are Postpartum Pads.  These are fabulous for mamas who want a little "vag cush" in the postpartum period after labor.  

HERE is her tour of the postpartum pads on YouTube.  I wish something like this had been around when we were birthing Sweet Peas!!

After seeing how easy it was to make that transition, we made the switch to "unpaper" towels.  This family of six that used to go through a bulk store pack in about six weeks had the same package last for 4+ months.  The only reason we finished the pack is because our washing machine broke down and wasn't repaired for six weeks...long story...after a few 15+ load trips to the laundromat something had to give.  Anyway, happy that our machine is fixed and we are now fully back to our reusable habits.  

We are now venturing to try the mama cloth - the more I know about the chemicals in personal care products, the less willing I am to expose our daughters to them, especially as they enter their reproductive years.

What do you think...

Our December/January newsletter has finally arrived…here is the link for you to find out what we are sharing with our students:

 

Our featured business this month is Shannon’s Cloth & More.  I have been meaning to write a post about the toxins in conventional diaper wipes…and I will as soon as edit the pictures that go along with the post.  In the meantime, HERE is a list of ingredients against which you can check the products you are looking at using.

 

After we started our journey to green our environment, I came to the realization that our conventional wipes were no longer welcome as we move towards as toxin-free a home as we can manage.  Nothing I looked at was free of all of these chemicals.  Around the same time, I heard about Shannon’s Cloth and More.

 

HERE is an eye-opening article about the little thought of ingredients in conventional wipes – preservatives that are added to the product to minimize bacteria in a perpetually moist environment.  Children are breaking out in rashes due to an allergic reaction in supposedly harmless ingredients.

 

I encourage you to read the article about the rashes that children are having as a reaction to the ingredients in conventional wipes, and to research reusable alternatives like the products that Shannon provides.                                   

 

Although I was hesitant about it, and couldn’t imagine convenience and reusable in the same sentence, we started using them over the summer. We have not looked back, and I can barely bring myself to buy the conventional product anymore..  It was a much easier transition than I anticipated.  We got some Baby Bits to make our own cleansing solution plus spray bottles from GoGo Natural, started using our wipes from Shannon’s Cloth, and just started rinsing and washing our wipes as we do with our wraps.  EASY!

 

Plus – we are supporting a small business owner, saving money since we are not buying a product that we throw away after one use, keeping trash out of the landfill, as well as keeping icky chemicals away from our Sweet Pea’s skin.  Win. Win. Win.

 

Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and posted.