If you've been around my blog for a bit, you probably know that I was once a cosmetics manufacturer. Every Saturday morning, I set up my booth at the Takoma Park Farmer's Market in Washington, DC, where I sold body oils, handmade soaps, and face masks made of fresh botanicals like lemon juice, cherries, yogurt, and mangoes. My first website was donnaMaria.com, launched in 1998. Here's the home page from 2000.
I grabbed the screen shot from Archive.org, so it's hard to read.
The left column is my book cover, a link to my Satellite Sites (yes, even back then, I had more than one website), and a link to the Handmade Beauty Connection, the online newsletter I've published since 2000.
The middle column is a Welcome sign, the Donna Maria Aromatics logo (with calla lilly, my favorite flower), and a link to the Handmade Toiletries Tapes (which I never got around to recording). Under that, you can see a site map.
The right column features the bright red first logo for the INDIE Beauty Network, then known as the Handmade Toiletries Network, a link to DIY recipes, and finally, one of my first head shots. That was then. This is now.
I eventually closed Donna Maria Aromatics and replaced it with Maria Grace Aromatherapy Shop. I then closed that, and quit my job as a corporate attorney so I could pursue my passions and serve my IBN members (follow them!) full-time. I pointed donnamaria.com to the IBN home page, then later to this blog. Things are finally coming full circle, and I will soon re-launch donnamaria.com on its own. Here is a sneak peek of the home page.
I love the coral color and bright accents. I expect it to be the perfect expression of my personality and a comfortable place for you to see all of the different ways I can serve you, depending on what your needs are.
I plan to launch donnamaria.com later this week, and I hope you like it.
Question: What do you think so far?
PS: If you ever visit Washington, DC, on a Sunday, it will be more than worth your time to visit the Takoma Park Farmer's Market.
