Dear friends,

I am beyond grateful for all the support that you, our customers, have given me. After I lost my Rain brand, I was terrified of having to reinvent myself – especially in my late fifties. But I have never looked back and could honestly not be happier to be rid of the toxicity and stress. I would choose this over and over again. God has been GOOD to me!

PERFUMERY

SOOOOO EXCITING – my PASSION

So, since I last wrote, I have launched my new Grace Atelier Perfumery. I started studying perfumery in 2012, but breast cancer struck which resulted in the loss of my sense of smell due to chemotherapy. Then came the loss of my body and bath brand Rain. I was broken and could not face trying to paste the pieces back together and reinvent myself, so  I shelved the whole perfumery thing.

Last January, I decided to unpack all my bottles that had been tincturing and maturing since 2013, and oh my goodness – the smells brought tears to my eyes. The passion came flooding back and I  decided that it was truly worthy of a new pursuit. The flame was rekindled, and with my sense of smell restored,  I decided to start creating perfumes again.

The store – Grace Atelier Perfumery, opened 11 months later! We have had a soft opening season for the past 12 weeks, and the official launch event will be on 29 May, the Election Day public holiday. I have had to do it gently and slowly (due to cash flow)  – but much like the perfumes themselves – slowly and gently made!

More about the details on the Perfumery in my next newsletter – coming in May – I promise! But you can check it out so long on Instagram @graceatelierperfumery

SECRET SHOP

We recently launched our scintillating new Zoology stationery range in our Secret Shop. See some examples above. Together with my friend Hein in Bangkok, we created this witty quirky range using AI technology, and boy oh boy, did we have fun creating this. Animals in period costumes – talk about a new take on the big five. We have notepads, greeting cards, gift tags, mousepads, and birthday calendars. Please observe the personality and attitude of each character in this range. It sold out so quickly and we have just done a reprint. So pop in before they run out again!

The other new editions in the Secret Shop are our fabulous hand-rolled and shaped “salami“ soaps. My new favourite shower accessory! They look like salamis hanging in net stockings but are entirely vegetable-based soaps… in fact, made with olive oil and the very richest Ghanaian Shea Butter. The soaps are all naturally coloured with rich earthy clays which draw out impurities and help with the soap’s cleansing action. They are man-sized and generous, easy to gain a thrilling lather on a sponge. An excellent gift for Father’s Day coming in June.

EATERY

The autumn colours at our restaurant are truly spectacular each year and we embrace our falling leaves with so much joy. The mood is mellow and nostalgic. In the cooler days, we light the logfire and suggest our Hot Chocolate Ceremony. This is a steamy mug of frothy hot milk with a chocolate spoon. Surrounded by little bowls containing chocolate powder, whipped Jersey cream, marshmallows, and then variations like cardamom and rosemary ( with white chocolate ), or orange and cinnamon with dark chocolate. Peppermint options too. A soothing warm ritual for cool, but also heartsore days.

If you are watching your waistline … our coffee never disappoints. I can’t start my day without it – truly the highlight of my morning admin. My heart literally leaps when a waiter walks into my office with my morning cappuccino. Ours is a custom blend made only for Grace + Merci using beans from Brazil and East Africa creating the perfect marriage for a good, nutty strong flavoured coffee.

We have a dedicated generator just for our coffee machine, so even if there is load shedding, we always have coffee! 

Come and pay us a visit at 8 Voortrekker Street, Swellendam. Open every day from 8:00-16:00

MARKET

Our Saturday village market – Under The Oaks – runs every Saturday morning unless it rains. We are now in our third year. We marvel every week at the power of this market to build community and unite people. We watch friends engage, reunions happen, dogs meet friends, and kids play. It is the most uplifting happy place to be on a Saturday. It is deeply humbling to be an instrument in this powerful community builder.

Come and pay us a visit at 8 Voortrekker Street, Swellendam. Open every Saturday 10-13:30