My Story

Hi! Thanks for visiting!

At the beginning of 2022, I found myself with a blank slate before me. My children were grown, I had just laid my parents to rest, our elderly dog had passed, and I no longer had the daily responsibility of caring for others. A friend invited me to consider joining a group at our church by the name Daughters of the King. I decided to go through the discernment process to learn about the order. It’s a nondenominational group of women that take a vow of prayer and service. During the study, one of the chapters was about finding your gifts. There was one that jumped off the page for me: hospitality. My husband and I love to entertain, and our home has been nicknamed “The Parriott”. Once I focused on exploring what hospitality would look like in my life now, things began to fall into place. God placed conversations, people and opportunities for service before me. With the help and encouragement of my husband, daughters, and sister-in-law, Graciously Made became a reality. My little charcuterie business was on its way in Oswego, Illinois.

I was just hitting my stride when my husband received a wonderful opportunity to transfer with his company to Florida. This was a full circle moment for me. I was born and raised in Seminole, Florida and graduated from Florida State University. I moved away in 1987 and resided in the Midwest until 2023. I learned how to cook Italian with my mother-in-law (the ultimate cook and hostess), loved all the season changes, and made some wonderful, lifelong friends. Our daughters are Midwestern Chicago gals, but I’ve always had sunshine and sand running through my veins. Coming back to Florida is bittersweet and exciting! Everyday my husband and I say, “can you believe we live here”. I’m looking forward to sharing my love of charcuterie and hospitality with you. My desire is that you find my products and service to be intentional, thoughtful, and delicious. Thanks for reading, I hope to meet you very soon!

Fondly,

Margaret Paratore

My logo

The design of my logo and details of the vine are with purpose. You might even say they are intentional and thoughtful. I chose a pineapple for hospitality and my mother’s handwriting is the Graciously Made script. The vine was inspired by Highlights Magazine picture search and my love of toile. There are 10 hidden pictures in the vine that represent charcuterie, my family, and faith.