A Year in Review

2012 has been a fantastic year for me and my soap business! I thought I would end out 2012 by focusing on all of the positives of the year.

HUGE Achievements for me this year include:

• I attended my first craft show in August, which kicked off a great fall/winter craft show season!
• I was asked to be a part of Bramble Berry's Fall/Winter S.O.A.P. team, and my youtube videos were featured on the results page!
• I sold over 180 items in my Etsy shop!
• I had my first International sale!
• My facebook fan page currently boasts over 600 fans!

And in my Etsy shop:

• I debuted lip balm in tubes, and now boast 23 different flavors, with three new ones coming in January!
• My bath bombs debuted in July, and have become my biggest sellers on both Etsy and at craft shows!
• My hot process soaps debuted over the summer, opening up a world of new fragrances and dyes that are unstable in cold process soaps.
• Wax tarts made their debut in September.
• The Soap of the Month Club and the Bath Bomb of the Month Club debuted in November!

I was also featured in three blogs this year:

• The Married Life Blog
• Pearls and Mason Jars
• My Blog Finally Made It

I am sure that there is more that I am forgetting, but just looking at the list above, my business has improved by leaps and bounds this year! I am so proud and humbled and completely happy with the progress that my shop has made, and I cannot wait to see what 2013 has in store for me! Check back next week when I preview a little of what I am planning for the coming year!

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale at SecondSpringSoaps

Green Apple Bath Bombs

It's that time of year again... Black Friday weekend! Fill up on turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, then go out and fight the crowds for deals! Whew... I am still leering from last year's fight over a $5 waffle maker (which I didnt get! Curses!).

Any who, this year, you can search for deals online, in the comfort and privacy of your own home! I'm happy to announce that this year I will be holding my own black friday weekend sale in my Etsy shop! From Thursday, November 22 - Tuesday, November 27, you can stock up on your favorite soaps, lip balms, and everything else in my shop at 10% off!! Awesome!

Hot Chocolate Soap

And, for being such amazing, wonderful, gracious blog readers, you can also use the coupon code "2012BLOG" and get additional free shipping! The coupon code is already live, and you can use it until December 19, which is my cut off date for holiday shipping!

I just wanted to take a moment and thank all of you guys for your love, support, and encouragement over the past year! My shop has done amazing things this year, and my readers, fans, and customers are a constant source of inspiration. Thank you so much, and have a wonderful holiday season!

Fall/Winter Holiday Craft Shows

Man... A few months ago, selling at a craft show was a pipe dream. I had applied to one and had not heard anything back... Now look at me! I am booking craft shows all over East Tennessee!  I have been loving every minute of the show season... I really love connecting with folks who love my soaps!

My craft show set up!

I just wanted to give a quick update on where you can find me for the rest of the year:

Saturday, November 17
Christmas Stop and Shop
Townsend, TN
9am-3pm

Sunday, November 18
Tinsel Town and Tasting
Newport Civic Center
Newport, TN
12:30pm - 5pm

Saturday, November 24, December 1, December 8
Johnson City Farmer's Market
Johnson City, TN
9am - 2pm

And remember, you can always find me on Etsy at my Etsy shop!

Come back by on Monday to see what my awesome Black Friday weekend sale will be!!

Heritage Days 2012

 Heritage Days was last weekend in Rogersville, TN. I've been going to Heritage Days since I was very little and it was always my favorite part of the fall. I've always dreamed of having a booth, and after 28 years, I finally did it! And it was a blast! I cannot wait to go back next year!

My booth set-up! Too bad I didnt get my banner in there...

It isnt Halloween without Candy Corn soap!

Bath Bombs: Rose, Vanilla, Lilac, Green Apple, Blue Coconut

Regular soap, goat's milk soap, and lip balms

Cupcake soap! Loads of people thought they were edible!

More soaps!

2012 Greeneville Woman's Club Holiday Expo and Craft Bazaar

I am super excited to announce that I will be showing at this year's Greeneville Woman's Club Holiday Expo and Craft Bazaar! This will be my third of four shows this season... for someone who was a total newbie to craft shows just two months ago, I have really jumped in head first!

If you are interested in learning more about the Expo and Bazaar, here's a link to the event page on Facebook! I am so excited that my bath and body products will be there. My friends Jeri and Lisa will also be there, so if you happen to stop by, go check them out, too!

I'm off to wrap a bajillion soaps! Happy crafting!

Heritage Days, 2012

I'm excited to announce that I have been accepted to show at Heritage Days in Rogersville, TN on October 13-14, 2012!! Come out and see me!

Happy New Year from Second Spring Soaps!!

2011 is almost over, and 2012 is almost here! That's quite a few almosts!

Tonight, me and my family are staying home, just the three of us. We're going to have a big dinner of chicken and stuffing, and pie for desert, then we're going to stay up and watch Anderson Cooper on CNN! It will be a small and simple celebration, but it's the way we want it! Plus, my toddler seems to be getting excited, since we've been telling him about the party tonight!

2011 was a fantastic year for us! My son turned 1 back in July, my husband began his pathway program through King College and is on his way to graduating in August of 2012, and I officially started my soap shop in September! Lots of milestones! We are all very excited to see what will happen in 2012.

Happy New Year!! How will you be celebrating tonight?

2012: A Preview of What's Coming

2012 is coming soon! How exciting! With only 4 days left in 2011, I thought this would be a great time to talk about all of the fun and exciting things coming up for Second Spring Soaps!

Right now (yep! right now!), I am prepping for both Valentine's Day and St. Patty's Day. A few weeks ago, I made some new two-colored soaps in great scents (lilac, honey/almond, oakmoss and sage...), and they will be going live online in just a few days! I've picked up some new yarns as well, for some crochet swag to go along with the holidays!

Oh, and debuting just in time for St. Patrick's Day... Beer soap! Beer soap is made with beer (no way! really?) for some great additions for your skin (barley, hops), but with no beer smell! So, dont worry, you wont be heading to the office smelling like you are coming off a bender.

Exciting news in the world of lip balms!! After many requests (a lot of them from my own sister), I am transitioning from round tins to the traditional lip balm tube! Whoo!! I'll also be adding lots of new flavors, such as a triple berry blend, peppermint, clove, lemon, and (drum roll, please!) chocolate!

There's even more surprises coming... new bath salts, new crochet accessories, and the addition of bath bombs!

Happy New Year!