We have {two} Green Lullaby Multiboxes to give away!

Green Lullaby Multi-Boxes are made entirely of non-toxic, corrugated cardboard and they are darling! Although designed for kids, the box-seat can carry as much as 50kg. Multi-box can be used to teach your child about shapes, numbers and letters. It is completely recyclable, made mostly of recycled material and protected by a green and non-toxic fire retardant.

We are offering two lucky winners the chance to win a Multi-Box set.

How to participate:

1. Leave a comment below with an example of something you do everyday that is eco-friendly!

2. Then, Like us on Facebook

(RT on Twitter for an extra chance!)

We will select at random next Wednesday!

Happy Labor Day Weekend and Good luck!

Natural shampoo is a hot topic. Whats in it, does it work, who makes it. We have seen a stir in the media that may be prompting it, men and woman alike are looking for a shampoo they can feel good about using.

This authors of www.nomoredirtylooks.com posted a terrific primer on what to look for in shampoo including this excerpt:

“Natural: Your shampoo may not foam like a conventional product because it contains a higher percentage of natural materials, but your hair will still be just as clean, with added natural benefits.”

We look forward to hearing your feedback on what you are looking for in an organic shampoo, in the meantime check out some of the options on Abe’s for kids, adults and manly man in your life.

Fox Business was kind of enough to invite me into their studio last Thursday to talk about Abe’s Market.
Here is the link and a copy is below.

I was able to mention a few of our seller partners and wish I could have squeezed more in, hopefully next time.

In today’s digital age of emails, conference calls and Skype having true “face time” with our sellers makes me real excited!  This week the Abe’s Market clan got to meet a few face-to-face with a few new sellers and it was a blast!

Jon and Richard (Abe’s Market founders) spent the first half of the week in NYC and had a chance to meet up with the ladies from The Well Dressed Nut (pictured above), Sarah from Rescue Chocolate and Elizabeth from Purely Elizabeth.

Kelsey (Abe’s Market intern) and I got to spend the afternoon with Zak from Little Duck Organics.

Such fun!

“live what you love, love what you do”

Hi! I’m Jenna Short and I am the founder of ShortbreadNYC. I am excited to share my photo tips with the Abe’s Market Community because I know that my sales have drastically increased once I put time and effort into my photography skills.

I originally started off as a graphic designer (I still am) with a minor in photography, so naturally aesthetics are something that is extremely important to me. Something I learned early on is that people eat with their eyes, then with their nose… and of course, their mouths.

When I was younger everyone always taught me to not judge a book by its cover. Well, in the digital age, we can’t afford to buy into that one bit. That’s ALL we do!

Having a brand and a visual voice is one of the most important things you can do for your company. Even if that means just having a logo, website and some stickers; that alone can create a seamless visual for your clientele. Think about one of the most successful brands out there: Apple Computers. They don’t skimp on anything as far as design and that is HUGE part of why they are so successful. Every aspect of marketing from the ads, colors and people working for you play a huge roll in the overall service you provide.

With that being said, you don’t need formal training to do any of this. There are so many great online “do it yourself” reasources from a quick fix, to a complete overhaul. If you do however seek some professional assitance with your brand, logo or website, our comapny can create that for you as well!

For photography, all you need is a good eye and attention to detail. For example; if you have a food blog and like to take photos but can’t afford the fancy equipment or SLR camera, all you have to do is be mindful of lighting.

DIY Photo backdrop:

• Supplies: Run to your local drug store and pick up a few tabletop prop mirrors,  some colored paper and black, white and gray cardboard from your local art supply store.
• Camera ISO Range: Turn off your flash and use your camera’s built in ISO. ISO range is available on all digital cameras and it goes overlooked for causal users. So what is ISO? Basically, ISO is the camera’s sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO number the more light sensitive the camera is being. In natural lighting (near a well-lit windo) place your camera’s ISO on the hightest number which will let you shoot with faster shutter speeds giving you less chance of movement blur.

• Backdrop: Use the colored paper as your back drops. You can tape them to a wall or create your own photo box like the image above. Be sure to take pictures by the window with all the natural sunlight you can get and use the card board and mirrors to reflect the light and get the contrast you want.
• Compose your shot: It’s easy to feel intimated by the composition (styling) of the shot but don’t be. Try different angles, close-ups and details. Think creatively and add details like raw ingredients, utensils or actions (cutting, sewing, etc) into your shots. Try everything and see what feels right for your brand.

Looking back if I could change anything up until now I probably wouldn’t. I think that every event in my life has lead me to the place that I am at right now! Every person I have met and place I have lived has made an incredible contribution to the success of Jshortdesigns & Shortbread NYC. (even though i think deep down my mom still wishes I was a dentist