Featured Artist: Grateful Chics
Every year we are grateful to have the chics with us for Fall Artisan Market. If you are not familiar with their mission and what they do…this is their story…
O U R M I S S I O N
Grateful Chics™ Inspirational Gifts exists to create Peace, Love, and Joy through the practice of GRATITUDE.
People want to feel happiness in their everyday lives now more than ever. Many are confused about how to find joy and stay positive in challenging times. Our products are tools to stay focused on the good and for the purpose of better living.
We provide affordable, memorable, and meaningful gifts. These treasures affirm your daily gratitude and can be used at home, work, and on the go. Our products and services help you Live a Grateful Life™ and count blessings. We do all of this with devoted hearts, innovative minds, and vivacious spirits…after all we are Grateful CHICS !!!
O U R S T O RY
There are interesting twists that have brought about the Grateful Chics™. The idea of a company with this unique product began in the mind’s eye of Joy. Inspired by a gift made for her in Summer 2008 (belo
w). Both Tracy and Joy were at a place where they needed change, enlightenment, and more spirituality in their lives. The idea of the beads came while reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Life’s opportunities (God-incidences) brought them to this place of courage to go out on their own as Momtrepreneurs.
The Grateful Beads are a tangible piece to physically see and hold to remind you to think about the blessings in your life instead of the obstacles. The intention for all the Inspirational Gifts is to help you stay connected to your goodness, the goodness of God and the goodness that exists here on this planet in spite of and in glory over all the badness.
At first, Grateful Chics was more of a hobby with kids, other jobs and priorities taking precedent. Joy felt the call from God to move forward and rededicated her work life to revive this mission. 2012 was their best ever with a strong team, clear vision and a product line diversification into Journals, Stationery, Jewelry and more. Speaking of strong team, this is when Claire joined.
Joy and Claire have been friends since 2007 and thoroughly enjoy each other’s company. Committed to gratitude and being lifelong learners, their partnership promises great things for Grateful Chics™! With Joy’s business savvy and marketing experience and Claire’s creative eye, design experience, and online expertise, the two complement one another quite well. They have each been known to say of the other that “her strengths are my weaknesses”! (“and He has said to me, “My Grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 2 Corinthians12:9).
O U R S T A F F
Joy Stevens – President & Chief Grateful Officer, Designer and anything else needed.
Claire says: Joy is one of those magnetic personalities that other people just WANT to be around her. She is extremely hilarious and loves to laugh. She is fun to be with and funny too. She’s beautiful inside and out and has a zest for life that no one can match. She lives her faith with such JOY and exuberance that she sends her happiness to others just by being around them! Talk to her and you will hear her faith in her words. Spend time with her and you can’t help but love her.
Joy is an amazing friend, wife, daughter, sister, and most especially, an amazing Mother. Her relationship with her daughter is so beautiful to witness. She is doing an exceptional job raising a thoughtful and loving little girl and you know that Gratitude is at the heart of her vocation as a mother. Joy is the perfect example of how to “Live a Grateful Life” ™! I am grateful for Joy in my life.
Claire Stuckey – Vice President, Designer, Etsy Guru
Joy says: Claire has always been a fun light to me. We met almost 6 years ago on retreat and stayed in contact getting closer and closer. I admire her as a Faith-filled, home-schooling mother of three. Our energy matched very well and I knew all along she was a Grateful Chic. God does that a lot for me and this time I paid attention.
We needed some new and fresh eyes for our expansion at Grateful Chics™. Claire knows how to create beautiful jewelry and is a master at all this social media stuff. She ran her own Etsy Shop, some direct sales and managed the household. Plus she is real and lives authentically. I asked her to join us here and she accepted right away. There are a lot of wonderful things to come forth at Grateful Chics, and without Claire, they are not possible!
For more information on the chics you can find them on Facebook, Etsy and their website www.gratefulchics.com – you will find them in our showroom for our Annual Fall Artisan Market on Thursday, November 12th from 11am to 7pm.