So thankful for this sampling of our product shoot recently shot by Trashy Betty Photography. Melissa is unbelievably talented and I am grateful to call her my friend. The shoot turned out great and I love this snippet...

Peace Love & Soap | Product Shoot Behind The Scenes from Trashy Betty on Vimeo.

VERY Quick Overview on Essential Oils

      I am certainly no guru when it comes to essential oils, but since my early teens I have had a fascination with them and the properties they posses. Over the past 9 years of research about essential oils for my business, Peace, Love & Soap, I have gathered some knowledge that may be helpful. This post is only the basics....even shorter than the Reader's Digest version. It is a starting point.

      Let's talk about Lavender. Lavender is my favorite go-to oil for many reasons. It is naturally calming, promotes rest & relaxation & improves sleep. Did you know that Lavender can help with acne, repel bugs & promote hair growth. Seriously, what's not to love? 

      What about Lemongrass? It is naturally uplifting...one sniff and you'll see. It is naturally anti fungal, antibacterial & it relieves muscle soreness. Lemongrass is also a mosquito repellent.

      Let's not forget about Peppermint! We all know it is great for breathe but it goes so much deeper than that...like repelling spiders! It aids in digestion, awakens the mind, helps fight headaches and is naturally anti bacterial & anti microbial. It produces a "tingle" when applied to the skin that some people love and others...well, not so much. If you are not a fan of the strong "tingle" sensation, it is helpful to first mix the essential oil with a "carrier" oil such as coconut or olive oil. (**this goes for all essential oils)

      Eucalyptus is great for respiratory issues as well as congestion or cold. It opens up the lungs & sinuses. It is also used for muscle pain, exhaustion, acne, cuts, burns, insect bites, even shingles!

      Patchouli is another favorite of mine but I can't speak for everyone. It is usually the Love/Hate scent and this is because it is associated with Hippies. For some this is a good thing (love me some hippies) others remember a time when Patchouli was used in the place of deodorant...for days on end. I get it, but don't break my heart, give it a try. Patchouli is a calming oil & a natural aphrodisiac. Yep, that's right. It helps fight depression, soothes inflammation, stops fungal growth & works as a bug repellent. 

      These are just a FEW properties of a FEW oils. There is so much more to all of them and they truly are incredible! At Peace, Love & Soap we have 2 (for now) blends that are very popular with our customers. These blends are Patchouli Lavender & Lemon Eucalyptus. The great thing about the blends is that you basically combine the goodness of each oil into one.

Blends

Patchouli Lavender $12.00 USD Lemon Eucalyptus $12.00 USD

                                                         

Single Oil                                                           Lavender $12.00 USD Peppermint $10.00 USD Lemongrass $10.00 USD Patchouli $12.00 USD

                                                                 

Which Essential Oil Diffuser Should I Buy?

       Over the course of the last five years I have been asked numerous times, "Which Diffuser do you use?" I will admit that I have gone through a few before I found my favorite and I even still use several different brands in my home. There is, however, one that I swear by because it has all of the features that I love for just the right price. Let me also say that I am in no way affiliated with any company and I receive absolutely no perks for endorsements. This post is purely my opinion based off of 5 years of experience.
       My first experience with diffusers was through Doterra back when I was selling there products years ago. I like the company and they do have quality products. The Lotus was my first purchase for $119, which was a sacrifice, but I was sure I wouldn't regret it. It had to be replaced 3 times because of the plastic breaking down. The customer service was amazing and it was replaced no problem, but the product failed...multiple times. Finally I gave up on the Lotus and decided to take the plunge & upgrade to the Aroma Ace. The Aroma Ace was nice, but extremely pricey at $173 (also comes with one oil, but still). Lastly, at full blast, it was very loud. I thought it was ok, but ok isn't quite good enough for the price tag attached.
      In an effort to share my love for aromatherapy with my sister, I purchased the Miu Color 500 ml Diffuser from Amazon. It was $32.99 which was fair because I knew she wasn't into it as much as I was. Long story short, when I saw hers I had to have one! It has a subtle color changing light (which can be switched off), automatic shut-off, a timer, a large water tank...basically everything I had been looking for for a fraction of the price! I purchased one for myself & have been using it with no problems for the past 4 years. It is by far my favorite diffuser. I use it every single day.
     It was suggested to me to try the Signstek 1500ml Diffuser for $24.99 on Amazon because of the large capacity water tank and the high volume output. I did purchase this diffuser and I like it for that price except for a few things. The look of the diffuser is cheesy...it's not sleek like my MIU. It does not have automatic shut off which is huge for me & my peace of mind. Also, I love the high output of vapors, but it leaves A LOT of condensation where ever it is placed. This could ruin a nice piece of furniture...no bueno. It also runs out quickly when switched to high output.
      All in all the point of my post is to say that you do NOT have to shell out loads of money in order to have a nice Essential Oil diffuser. Find out which features are most important to you and go from there. After years of experience, if I ever needed to replace a diffuser, it will be with another MIU 500ml. I use them all but this is my favorite!

       Here are three of the four diffusers I mentioned. I do not own the Lotus anymore and that is why it's not pictured (notice the water droplets around the base of the Signstek).  I hope that this helps in your journey with diffusing oils and aromatherapy. I, of course, use Peace, Love & Soap essential oils & blends. I own the company & I know exactly what goes into my products. Our oils are 100% pure, but not all essential oils are equal. That is another post for another day...Happy Diffusing!

 Let me know if this post helped by commenting below and subscribing to the Peace, Love & Soap blog!

Purchase Your Lava Diffuser Bracelets & Oils Here!

          In trying to add the Lava Diffuser Bracelets & Essential oils & Blends to my website, I discovered that my website had been HACKED!! Here is a quick fix for the time being...these PAYPAL buttons are a safe way to order your bracelet & oils if you need those as well. I hope you love these as much as I do!

Lava Diffuser Bracelet

Small $10.00 USD Medium $10.00 USD Large $10.00 USD

Preferred Bead Choice (variable)

Essential Oil Blends

Patchouli Lavender $12.00 USD Lemon Eucalyptus $12.00 USD

Essential oils

Lavender $12.00 USD Peppermint $10.00 USD Lemongrass $10.00 USD Patchouli $12.00 USD

Peace, Love & Soap 2013 Market Season Begins!!

In the morning we will embark on the 2013 Market season! It will continue to be held each Saturday for the next six months. When I first started the market, my boys were so little that I would set up the pak-n-play for them to sit in while I sold my soap. My operation was very small and I was there for the experience more than the money. Over the years, the market has grown right alongside Peace, Love & Soap. These days, my boys have certain things they love about the market as well. First things first, they must get their cinnamon scone from Great Harvest Bread. They love Buddy May's fresh, raw honey and look forward to Ms Angie who spoils them with treats & special gourd jack-o-lanterns. They lay under my table watching movies on the ipad or decorate the sidewalk with their chalk creations. Things have changed from season 1. This will be our sixth season at the market and I couldn't feel more Blessed to be a part of such a wholesome, positive event. The market "veterans" are like family. We buy, sell & trade with each other and watch each others' backs and tents when needed. Each year, as word gets out of the Saturday morning downtown gem, our crowds get bigger and bigger. I love to see people out & about with their families enjoying such a beautiful city. Peace, Love & Soap has also developed quite a bit since the early years. We are now carried in stores such as Whole Foods Market & Mast General store, along with many other local business in the Carolinas. We have gone from a few varieties of soap to about 12 different blends along with Paraben Free Lotions, Bath Salt, Lip Balms & Liquid Soap. It has taken many years of hard work to evolve Peace, Love & Soap, but we have also had the most wonderful customers, friends & family to support our journey and lead us into the future of our company. We still have a long way to go, but I am very hopeful & excited about what is in store for Peace, Love & Soap and The Downtown Saturday Market. If you have never been, please don't miss such a fun time in our beautiful downtown Greenville. The market is held on Main Street from The Westin Poinsett & continues a few blocks up North Main. The hours are from 8:30-12:30. Hope to see you there!

Peace, Love & Soap on Scene on 7

Scene on 7 came out to do a story on Peace, Love & Soap! Jamarcus Gaston was so great & best of all, he loves his soap! Thank you channel 7 and all who ordered after seeing this clip!

Discovering doTERRA!!

A few months back a friend of mine introduced me to an essential oil blend called Slim & Sassy! I had heard some of the girls where I workout saying how it gave them energy, stamina & was great for getting the metabolism revved up...so I tried it. That night I felt an extra boost at Zumba and when I got home I was buzzing around making dinner & cleaning up. I wondered what was different about the way that I was feeling and then I remembered taking the Slim & Sassy oil. The thing I love most about it is that it is all natural therapeutic grade essential oils- grapefruit, lemon, peppermint, ginger & cinnamon. I checked into the doTERRA company and ordered some Slim & Sassy. After about a month of LOVING it, I decided to become a rep for the company. I have always leaned toward the natural approach to health & wellness and this company's values were right up my alley. Plus, I think it's a great compliment to my natural handmade soap business- Peace, Love & Soap! Since then, I have tried many of the doTERRA products such as, Past Tense (for headaches & tension), Breathe (for my son's allergies), Lavender (for relaxation & sleep) and many more... Not only does this company have great products, but they also have great incentives and avenues of earning money by becoming a representative...paid in cash, not products!

The last thing I ever thought I would do would be to add something else to my plate. I hate giving people the hard-sell and pressuring them into buying products. However, doTERRA is a company I believe in with high quality products that actually work!! I love the natural approach...contact me if you'd like to know more about products or becoming a representative.

 peaceloveandsoap@live.com

http://www.doterra.myvoffice.com/katiemwill/

www.peaceloveandsoap.com

Peace, Love & Soap...Changing Modes!

Well, It's that time of year again... Our farmer's market has come to an end and we have some shows gearing up for Christmas, but all in all, we are shifting from selling mode to production mode. Thank goodness, our wholesalers & faithful customers keep us selling throughout the winter. However, this is the time when we spend lots of time in the Bubble Factory concocting next seasons wares. It has been an amazing year and we feel so fortunate that Peace, Love & Soap is thriving!

The Bubble Wagon!!!

I cannot express how excited I am about how the Bubble Wagon turned out! This picture was taken right after it was finished of myself & Richie, our friend from Canada who came down to wrap it for us.

Youtube Review!! Peace Love & Soap ~ Handmade Vegan Soap Haul/Review

This is so cool!! I just randomly found this review on youtube!!

2011 HSMG Miami

This year I was lucky enough to be able to do something that I've wanted to do for a few years now...attend the HSMG annual conference. It was held in Miami, which is my hometown, so I felt comfortable venturing out on my own to go. I had the best time and met some of the nicest people ever! It was fun to be around people who find value & excitement in soap like I do. I got to enter my soap in the Soaper's Showcase, which held some of the most amazing soap projects I have ever seen! The speaker's & instructors were so knowledgeable and I felt so Blessed to be there.

This is my friend Lashonda, aka The Soap Coach.

This was at the Essential Wholesale party at the Ft Lauderdale Museum of Science.

I became fast friends with Jackie & Leiann. I hope to see them again one day!

This is Holly. Thank goodness she "accidentally" sat at our lunch table. I was so glad to get to know her. She even bought me a peace sign bracelet because she said it reminded her of me!

This is our keynote speaker Barbara Corcoran signing my copy of her book. She has such an inspiring story. Certain parts of her talk brought me to tears...she is a great speaker.

Below is a short video of the conference including the makeshift limbo game that we started with my walking stick. All in all, it was such a fun time and I am thankful to my husband who took vacation time off to watch our boys so I could go.

Our new Custom Project- Art in Action!

Anyone who knows me very well, knows that I love art, creativity & music. A few years ago when we first moved to Greenville, Mike & I stumbled upon an art festival downtown, called Artisphere. As we walked down into the beautiful Falls Park we heard some rock music blaring and saw this guy with crazy blonde hair dancing around & slinging paint. Even my little boys were mesmerized. As we watched, the life size canvas turned into a painting of Tom Petty! Ever since then, my family has loved the art of Brian Olsen. Every year, we are usually camped out the entire weekend in front of the Art in Action stage, like little groupies! I know it sounds silly, but it's so fun to watch. Take a minute to watch this video and you'll get a glimpse of what his art is like:

With all this being said, I am very excited to announce that Peace, Love & Soap has been working with the Art in Action team and we've come up with a custom "Art in Action" soap bar! It will be sold this year at the merchandise tent of Brian Olsen, Art in Action. The soap is all natural and handmade, of course, and it also has exfoliants in it to help wash paint (or whatever your medium may be) off of those artsy folks hands! So don't miss out on your Peace, Love & Soap, "Art in Action" bar and definitely don't miss out on watching Brain Olsen do his thing!!

Here are some pictures of us enjoying Artisphere through the years...

This was the first time we saw Art in Action

This was the second year. The boys love running around Falls Park in between shows. I love this picture!

I actually won one of Brian's painting in an online contest. So many people pulled together & voted for me to win the painting. I couldn't believe it!

So excited the day it came!

This is the boys with their Art in Action tattoos!

The boys think he's the coolest!!

Peace, Love & Soap's First Saturday Market of 2011!

When I say that the market came in with a bang, I am not even kidding! The Carolina First Saturday Market in downtown Greenville, SC is always such a joy to be a part of. This is our fourth year down there and every year gets better than the last. This Saturday was crazy busy the whole time without a minute to relax, not that I'm complaining ; ). My friends & family that came to visit had to jump in and start bagging, cutting and helping me take money. It was so exciting!

Here are a few pics of the day!

It was chilly in the morning, but warmed up quickly.

This is my sweet hubby! He got to come down with me to help set up before he had to leave for work. We are a team!

Peace, Love & Soap Garden

This year, in an effort to be better organized, I had a jumpstart on my soap stock- which freed up some time to get back to my garden...not to mention I have the perfect spot and can finally stray from my usual container gardening (which has been good to me, don't get me wrong!) This is just the beginning of some peppermint that will eventually be dried and used in our soap. Peppermint is a great thing to grow if you want to start simple. A container is not a bad idea, because it spreads like wild fire.

Here are a few more of our veggie plants we have going. So far, its heirloom tomatoes, red peppers, squash, zucchini & watermelon (for Cameron).

This next little bud is what I am most excited about! I have decided to try & grow my own loofahs for my loofah soap. Many of my farmer friends have given me the confidence to give it a try, so we shall see. I started them from seeds from ones I was given last year. I planted them last week and I will keep the progress updated.

This is the other view of our garden. We hung the lattice for the loofahs to travel up. Hope they like it! : )

Peace, Love & Soap has moved!

Peace, Love & Soap has recently moved into a much bigger area (about twice as big!), and it has not been an easy task. But, it has truly been worth it. I am meeting with my business consultant today to go over my new set up and plans for the next year and I'm so excited! This month I start my festivals & shows, the first one being The Heritage Festival. Last year was a great turnout and this year is supposed to be double! The Carolina First Saturday Market starts in the beginning of May and I can't wait to see my market family and faithful customers again. It means so much that people make a point of coming down to get their soap and then order it through the winter from my website. That's a lot of work to get some soap and I am grateful for them!

Peace, Love & Soap gets a couple shout outs!

This is My Good friend Becca, talking about her awesome shop in the Pendleton Arts District. She has the best trendy clothes & jewelry in Greenville, check out Style by Becca. Make sure you watch the whole video until the end!

Peace, Love & Soap in the new Raleigh, NC Whole Foods Market!!

We were so excited to be asked to be part of the grand opening of the Raleigh, NC Whole Foods Market!! The store will open in early March and you can find Peace, Love & Soap products there!

Lately I have been very busy filling wholesale orders and figuring out how to transition into bigger equipment in order to ramp up production. I am excited to say that we will be working on new pictures for the website in the next couple months, and boy do we need them. Tax time is upon us and that is never fun, especially since bookkeeping is not my forte. However, I finished up my part of it yesterday and will be glad to have that behind me for another year. It was actually pretty exciting to see that Peace, Love & Soap is growing in all of the ways that it should be. I am not a numbers girl and really don't pay much attention to that unless I have to, so it was a good checkpoint for the year.

Today is a beautiful sunny day and as soon as I finish my coffee I will dress the boys and head out to the shop to make soap. I love my setup because they can play while I watch them & work. I also have a little couch out there so Cameron can sit & practice his reading.

Peace, Love & Soap Happenings!

It's starting to get busy around here once again! For some reason I had anticipated a few months of no soap activity, but much to my surprise, it was more like a couple of weeks! I'm not complaining because I have to admit I was getting a little antsy and already subconsciously setting goals for the upcoming year and market season. Things seem to be constantly changing here at Peace, Love & Soap which I think is great because it's a sign of growth. Our retail packaging is about to get a makeover and I can't wait to reveal our new look. In the last 3 days I have made 29 batches of soap and mixed almost my weight in bath salts. I'm trying to stay ahead of the game as much as possible this year to free up some fun time during market season. A major goal I have is to have all of the soap made before the market starts in May. Day before yesterday I took a little road trip to Charlotte, NC to pick up my new workbench. I am so happy for this because I have been working off of two 8 ft. plastic tables and they are shot!! This is a major deal for me.

Peace, Love & Soap has had the opportunity to be a sponsor in a race taking place on February 5, 2011 called A Hero's 5K. It is in memory of Geoffrey Whitsitt and other Upstate soldiers who have fought, lived and died for our country. I have offered that anyone who signs up to run with the Peace, Love & Soap team gets a free bar of soap. We have 2 signed up so far and I hope we get lots more! C'mon, I'm itching to give some soap away! You can sign up here:

www.aheros5k.com

In fact, if you mention this blogpost to me, I'll throw in a lip balm as well!

24/7 with Peace, Love & Soap in SKIRT! Magazine

I know most Greenville folks have picked up skirt! magazine at some time or another. I love flipping through each month to see what is new and fresh around town, which is why I was so excited when they called me and asked for an interview for the new "24/7" segment.

The funniest thing is that my family went to Whole Foods for a bite to eat a couple days after Christmas. I knew that the article was coming out in January and wasn't at all expecting to see it when I breezed past the stack of mags, grabbing one on my way to our booth. My husband casually said to me, "Are you gonna look for your article?" I looked down and saw that it WAS the January issue. I about died when I flipped to the page and saw it! I know it may not be a major deal to most people, but it was so fun to see and my boys thought it was cool seeing mommy in a magazine!

Check it out, just click on the link below...

http://greenville.skirt.com/247/meet-katie-williams

Free Coffee Day...let's give back!

This year as I looked around at all that we have and hurt for the people who are suffering with this struggling economy or whatever else, I had the strongest urge to give back in some way. I wasn't sure what I would be able to do and as I was thinking about it, I stumbled on "Free Coffee Day" which was put together by Drew Horton, to serve Greenville's Homeless community as the cold weather kicked in. I wanted to be an example to my children of how to have compassion, understanding & the importance of serving others before yourself. I had lots of friends contribute blankets, coats & long johns...and we packed up soap. I know it's not a major life or death necessity, but I thought it might be nice to be able to wash up and feel clean & fresh.

It was amazing to me to see how much the people appreciated the gifts that were given to them. Their eyes lit up to a new pair of socks or a long john shirt. I think the ladies particularly enjoyed the soap, but there were a lot of men who were very happy to have it as well.

My kids warmed up to the people right away and would pick out the ones who they hadn't yet given soap to. The men & women loved the kids and you could see their faces warm up to the extended hand of a child. I felt like it was because children are innocent and nonjudgmental.

Those gifts were all specific requests of the homeless people of Greenville who had gone to the previous Free Coffee Day. It was very interesting to me so see what the people had asked for. It was everything from socks to a Bible to a basketball. Each individual had a different treasure.

Christian loves to be a part of everything we do and I loved that this was such a simple act with such a big lesson.

This is Cameron packing baggies of soap for the people who would be down at the shelter.

The biggest lesson I learned is that these people who received these items are the same as anyone else. Some of them had been homeless for many years and some for many months. Some of them looked homeless, and some of them didn't. Each person was once somebody's child and were loved greatly or not loved enough. Some were there because of a life of poor choices, but some were victims of circumstance. There were so many men who were dying for work, but couldn't find a job, therefore couldn't pay for housing. It made me realize that this is real. And for those of us who have so much, we need to give back to those of us who are having a hard time, without judgement.

All work & no play is no good for Peace, Love & Soap

I have switched gears lately from production mode to selling mode. All summer I was cranking out soap like it was going out of style and it was beginning to take a toll on me. I also realized that I had worked so much this summer that I didn't take time to do some of the fun things that were on my agenda. This has taught me that I need to take time to plan and restructure for next year. Peace, Love & Soap has really grown in the past year so I need to accommodate my infrastructure to match that. I have really enjoyed having some time off with the kids since the market has come to an end. I am pacing myself through the holidays. I'm trying to enjoy every minute of my children being small and thinking every little thing is so wonderful. I want to be more like that. I realize that in order to be productive, you have to have downtime...and it's ok to just sit and be still.

Peace, Love & Soap: www.peaceloveandsoap.com | Your Carolina - Local Entertainment for Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson S.C. and Asheville N.C.

Here is this morning's segment from Your Carolina with Jack & Kimberly! I am so thankful that they asked me back to the show and I had a really good time.

Peace, Love & Soap: www.peaceloveandsoap.com | Your Carolina - Local Entertainment for Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson S.C. and Asheville N.C.

Tea Tree Rocks!

I've started "featuring" a soap each week at the market just to be able to share extra information about my products with my customers and get the word out about some great properties of certain essential oils that I use. One of my all time favorites is my Tea Tree bar. I originally made this bar for a young man who needed help with some trouble spots of acne. I do my best not to make any "claims" on my products and I'm not going to do that now. But I will say that Tea Tree essential oil is one of God's natural gifts. It has so many wonderful properties such as being antibacterial, antiseptic & antifungal. In my opinion, it is a perfect substitute for the harsh chemical "soaps" or better yet, detergents, out there. My bar has grated orange peel which gives a light exfoliation, to slough off the dead skin cells. I started using it when I turned 30 and my skin decided to act like I was turning 13. Now it is one of my favorites!

Peace, Love & Soap at Mountain Park Farmer's Market!

This is my sister and right hand woman, Abby! She helps me in all aspects... This picture was from the Mountain Park Farmer's Market in Traveler's Rest, SC.

Peace, Love & Soap on Your Carolina with Jack & Kimberly!

Peace, Love & Soap will be appearing on Fox Channel 7's Your Carolina with Jack and Kimberly on October 29th! We were guests on the show back in 2008 and they have decided that they would like us to visit again. We are excited to be a part of the fun! Here is the clip from the last time. I can think of a few things I would do differently and many of my processes have changed, but, we all have to start somewhere, I guess?!?!

http://www.yourcarolina.tv/ycvideo/entry/peace_love_and_soap/

As summer comes to an end, we are finding that Fall is revving up to be just as busy! In the past two days I have had two retailers approach me about potentially carrying Peace, Love & Soap products. That is super cool! It has been kind of crazy lately, and I am feeling the need to better organize my time. Any suggestions or techniques are welcome....

This is my Pop, talking about Peace, Love & Soap

Peace, Love & Soap Market Pictures!

Change is good...Right???

Lately in my life, it seems that everything is changing. My oldest son has started kindergarten and my youngest will start preschool for the first time next week. My business is growing and taking new direction. My sister moved on from our home to college, and my Dad is getting ready to move back across the country after his recovery from a broken neck. As summer comes to an end I find myself feeling uncomfortable with these and more changes that I've been experiencing. I've been trying to evaluate exactly what is it that I feel , and to be honest, I just don't know! I've come to think that it's not necessarily the outcome of the change that bothers me, it's the fact that things are changing. Looking back on my life, I think I've always been this way, I've just never realized it. I will be happy when the newness of everything wears off and I am used to this new season of my life. That being said, I look at my children and my family and I am overwhelmed with happiness and blessings that I have. Guess I'm just feeling reflective tonight...

Peace, Love & Soap is now in Whole Foods Market!

I am so happy to say that after a lot of time, work & meetings, Peace, Love & Soap can now be purchased in Whole Foods Market in Greenville, SC. They are offering a variety of products including our bulk soap, bar soap, scrubbies & bath salts. So, if you are in the Greenville area, stop in and try some! Thanks to all of my loyal customers who have already stopped in to support PL&S! Here are my boys standing by our bulk display!

Peace, Love & Soap Crew!

This past week at the market, I got to bring my two little stowaways. My sister, Abby, usually watches them for me while I work on Saturday morning, but this week she was busy. I will admit that I was a little nervous because, although they are wonderful kids, they are 3 & 5 yr old boys! All in all they were very well behaved and it was kind of neat having them with me. There were a couple of minor hiccups, but I'm so thankful that I have a job where I have freedom to bring them along. I made them a mini fort under one of my tables to play and color. Check out the feet sticking out in the picture below!

This is the view that I had of them, although they were pretty much out of site from my customers. Those who did notice, thought it was pretty cool!

This was a quiet moment. It was fun, but it also made me very thankful for the help that my sister gives me each week!

Tennessee Soap & Candle Social 2010

Last Saturday I ventured over to Tennessee to go to my first, ever, soap & candle social. It took me a while to actually get there. I had to drive 2 1/2 hours to my parents house in North Georgia the night before, and then get up at 3:30 am to drive 4 1/2 hours to Franklin, Tennessee. It was really exciting to get to talk to other people who shared the same passions that I do. People who appreciate essential oils, lather and hardness of a bar of soap. I know it sounds silly, but it's true. I also got to learn a little about candle, lotion making & felting which was very interesting.

These were two of the awesome ladies that I met at the show, Lance & Rita. We all had lunch together and shared some laughs. They are sweet women.

This was just part of the group, there were around 30 of us all together.

This was one of the coordinators, Birdie, and her daughter. Here they are giving away door prizes which were great. Thanks to the generous sponsors, we all took at least two gifts home- nice ones, too!

Overall it was a great time! I enjoyed meeting Birdie, who is such a sweetheart, and hearing wisdom from others who know far more and have been crafting soap far longer than I have. The ladies did a great job coordinating the social. Our goodie bags were awesome! I hope I get to go back next year and bring some of my candlemaker friends. Thanks for the great time, Tennessee!