sarah's soak shoppe GIVEAWAY!!!

cotton scented bar soap

Here's an awesome GIVEAWAY that I am really excited to host and be able to share with you! Sarah crafts some of the most wonderful items that are actually good for you. Who doesn't like using stuff that's good for you??? She has an array of products including soaps, lotions, lip balms, scrubs, facial masks, and cuticle salves. Before I talk about the giveaway, let's get to know her better!

Tell us about you!
My name is Sarah, and I am a social worker by day, and a crafter at heart!  You name it, and I've made it - but I didn't find my true love until I starting soaping.  It was a wonderful moment of 'this is it! this is my dream!'  My boyfriend and I have been taking little steps over the past few years to live more simple, sustainable lives - I make all of our own cleaning products, most of our toiletries, we grow our own veggies each summer, and I try not to purchase anything I don't need or can make myself!  Our next step is building our little cabin in Alaska - not completely off the grid, but a step forward!  I definitely consider myself a modern day homesteader-in-training.

How did you come to find yourself on etsy?

lavender bar soap

I first discovered Etsy a few years ago when I was looking for a fun birthday gift for my boyfriend.  I chose to launch my online shop through Etsy because it's such a well known site and I knew it would increase traffic to my business.  I've been amazed by it's success in such a short period of time and I am so truly grateful for every single purchase.

What is it about being creative that you enjoy?

It is such a stress reliever!  Using your own two hands to create something that you or someone else will love is the most satisfying thing in the world.  I also need to feel productive all of the time, and crafting fits the bill perfectly.  I also love to bake, and soaping has so many similarities - I always say that you've made a good bath & body product if you want to eat it when you're finished!

coffee sugar scrub

Why should people buy handmade?

Basically everything we need can be handmade by someone, and it's probably going to be much better quality than something out of a factory. You'll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you're helping to support someone else's dream!  If I had my way, we'd all spend a lot more time making things we're good at and sharing them with the people around us.  We all have special skills - let's share them with each other!

 

Do you have a favorite recipe that you would like to share? 

In honor of summer coming, here's a great, easy picnic dessert:  Grab yourself a tub of Cool Whip and a box of strawberry Jello mix.  Make the jello super concentrated (think 1/4 of the recommended amount of water).  Mix it up with the Cool Whip, toss in some strawberries/blueberries/blackberries, and put it all in a shortbread or graham cracker pie crust.  Let it set up in the fridge for a few hours and you're ready to go!

whipped body butter

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
Antarctica, hands down.  Seeing the one place on earth that has never had a native population, where the animals aren't afraid, and is just completely pristine has been a dream of mine for awhile!  I actually looked into working seasonally in Antarctica, but it turns out they don't really need social workers...  Handmade soaps, perhaps?

Here's a pic I had to add at the bottom of this little feature. It's of my son's Easter basket which you usually wouldn't think has anything to do with soap but this year it did! I ordered a felted soap from Sarah for him and it was a perfect addition! Sarah made a super cute felted soap, personalized with a big T for Tyler, in his favorite color, green! It was adorable and Tyler just loves it!!

now let's get to the GIVEAWAY! 

win a scrumptious way to pamper yourself

Sarah is offering one bar of her Chocolate and Vanilla Handmade Bar Soap with Shea Butter and one tube of her Vanilla Lip Balm. Both are handmade in small batches using only the best ingredients (ingredients that you could actually recognize, pronounce, and feel good about using!)

Here's how to enter:

**Follow In Metal Jewelry's blog and Sarah's blog! Comment here telling me that you have done so. This is mandatory.

For extra entries you can do the following, leaving a separate comment for each (upping your chances to WIN!):
+1 Favorite Sarah's Soak Shoppe on Etsy
+1 Favorite In Metal Jewelry on Etsy

+1 Like In Metal Jewelry on Facebook!

+1 Like Sarah's Soak Shoppe on Facebook!

+1 Post on YOUR facebook about this giveaway!

+1 Tweet about this giveaway!

the contest will end at midnight on saturday the 14th.
the winner will be chosen using random.org.
(please make sure to post your email in your comment if it is not on your profile)