Blog Post One

Hello world!

My name is Denise Stanley.

I am a classically trained chef, a dancer, teacher, mad about flowers, outdoor enthusiast, beach bum, avid reader, writer, creative. Self proclaimed wild child and hostess with the mostest. I love loving people and esp. my wonderful children and grand babies.

I have four children. Three brilliant, handsome sons and one heavenly, exquisite daughter. I'm very blessed to have three beautiful daughter in loves and three genius grandchildren. I am also a Vilomah, a grieving mother.

I lost my youngest, Sarah Grace at the age of 15 in a farming accident. My world as I knew it ended that day. 2025 marks the 10th anniversary and its taken me this long to heal somewhat and get to a place that I could share. My hope and prayer is that I can be of encouragement to someone in the midst of your journey.

Sarah was an artist, archer, cat farmer, sister, daughter and friend to many. She loved animals and wanted to be a Vet Tech and help her brother Aaron. She was funny and sweet and smart. She had a entrepreneurial spirit from a very early age…making googley eyed creatures from stuff she found. Barbie boots, shells, acorns, used paint brushes, rocks. She then sold them for 25 cents to everyone she knew. She was two. There was something super special about her from the very beginning and we were always friends. We always got along and I had a buddy because the guys did guy stuff. The kids were all homeschooled. Sarah had a tough time in school and I had her tutored. Reading was a huge obstacle and we could not figure out why. I enrolled her in Brain Balance and immediately we saw a difference. For an entire year she did this course, as well as math, I read to her a lot, art, 4-H,archery and her co-op. During this season, she did ALOT of art. The left hemisphere of her brain was catching up while the right/creative side was off the charts having a good time. And so I let her…at one point she told me that she just could not stop making art. She gave most of it away. This would be our last year together…A lot of her pieces look like flowers, from pop tops to mussel shells! About a year ago I was going thru some things and found her bacon books. I laughed so hard. I then began thinking…what could I do to make them into something that the world could enjoy? With the enthusiastic help af Steph Salmon and a couple of other friends I set out to share Sarah’s humor and love of bacon.

Hence, we have the Garden of Grace. A glorious arrangement of beautiful one of a kind art and grace. Obviously her middle name, but also elegance, beauty, divine favor, politeness, charm, mercy & dignity.

This is not the end of my journey…its more of how I found my way back home.