Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Etsy Seller Feature & Giveaway: SweetsNThings

This Giveaway is now Closed!!


I'm so excited to share with you this Etsy seller feature and giveaway today!  Rhea is a sweet lady with a sweet shop, SweetsNThings where she sells awesome handmade luxury soaps, lotions and balms.  I've enjoyed getting to know her and can't wait for you to as well!  She is generously giving away two of her lovely items to one of our lucky readers -  One of her bars of Lemon Rosemary Shampoo and pumpkin spice whipped soap in a jar (two of her favs).  What perfect items to go in your newly remodeled bathroom space!  You can check out below how to enter to win!  




A little bit about Rhea:
I live in Aztec, New Mexico, the northwest corner of the state. I live with my husband, and my three youngest children who are still in school.


What do you create?
I create a lot of things, but on Etsy, I sell my bath and body products. I am also a yarnaholic - I knit, crochet, and also sew. I always have several projects in the works!




What inspires you?
I find inspiration in nature, in television, in music - just about everywhere really! I normally start with the scent first, and after I mix one I love, it really does lead me through the rest of the process.


Why did you choose your shop/company name?
When I first came to Etsy, I was as a buyer, but I did put some thought into what I would do if I transitioned to a seller. Of course, I would sell my super awesome handmade candies, fudge, and perhaps some baked goods. And they are awesome, but my state does not permit online sales of any home prepared foods. I can sell them at the farmer's market, or out of the trunk of my car, but not online. But the name "SweetsNThings" has stuck, and while many of my items look good enough to eat, they mostly taste like soap. My best friend, my little brother, suggested that since I couldn't sell the best candy on the internet, I could still sell the best soap, and maybe he'd lose a little weight in the process. And he has, I haven't had time to make candy in over a year.




Do you have any advice to share on how you have made your business grow?
Just to keep making new things, and keep seeking your customers. My most popular products have been the shampoo bars. If I had stopped trying new things, I would have never though to use soap on my hair, and if I hadn't been looking for people who have similar hair problems, I would have never found my customers. I wasn't afraid to say, I made this, I like it, and I think you'll like it too. Always keep your business in your mind, and take it with you, to the post office, to the grocery store, and to your online communities.





What are your goals (personal and/or business)?
I had a long term goal of slowly building my Etsy business so that I could do it full time eventually, but due to cutbacks at my day job, it is my full time job now, and I love it! I used to think about new things all day at my job, and come home too tired to do anything but package orders. I'm working hard now to expand my business, and hopefully, I'll never have to return to the rat race. My new goal is to join the "petite bourgeoisie", and someday have a B&M store with well paid minions.




What do you do when you are not creating?
My youngest three children (3, 10, and 18) are still at home, and they tend to occupy my evening hours, but I also have a small flock of chickens, and a darling husband. He breaks us away from the home at least once a week, so we can go golfing, or trolling the dollar store. The toy aisle at the dollar store is a huge adventure for us - you can never have enough water balloons or cap guns!


What is your most cherished handmade item?
My grandmother's quilt. She made it especially for me when I bought my house, as a housewarming gift, and it is just perfect, peach and green triangles. It's never too warm, never too light, and always reminds me of her.



To Enter to Win:
Leave a comment below with your email address


Extra Entries and chances to win (Leave a comment for each additional item for extra chances to win!):
1.  Follow this Blog
2.  Leave a comment stating your favorite item from Rhea's Etsy Shop
3.  Follow Rhea's Blog
4.  Share this Giveaway on Facebook and Twitter!


Thanks so much for joining us today - you have until Sunday to enter and we will announce the winner on Monday!  Winner will be picked from random using an online randomizer.  Have fun!

48 comments:

  1. I enjoy reading this blog. Thanks for the chance to win a great product from Rhea!

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  2. I shared the giveaway on facebook.

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  3. I love handmade soap products! Thanks for hosting this giveaway and thank you, Rhea, for sponsoring!

    ravensrascals at gmail dot com

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  4. I'm now following this blog via GFC. :o)

    ravensrascals at gmail dot com

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  5. It's hard to choose a favorite, but I'm intrigued by the Chocolate Covered Almond, Handmade Vegan Soap especially since it looks good enough to eat!

    ravensrascals at gmail dot com

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  6. I tweeted!

    http://twitter.com/#!/ravensrascals/status/68317522721640448

    ravensrascals at gmail dot com

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  7. I really love this blog. Quite informative and humorous as well.

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  8. I love this blog as I love so many things on ETSY! I would really like to try the shampoo bars...sound interesting!

    melissa.mallard@gmail.com

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  9. Love Rheas' Etsy blog site...interested in many of the products and I can see birthday gifts for my sisters...sugar scrubs, shampoo bars to name a few.

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  10. I'm liking those soap bars
    And I find your blog quite comical and enjoyable to read.
    alg_ahs@yahoo.com

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  11. I agree with Lee, what's NOT to love about lemony shampoo?

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  12. How nice of you to feature Rhea's lovely shop of goodies... they all look so yummy I could eat them (don't eat the soap!) I had a hard time choosing one favorite... "I'll take one of everything please!" So I think my favorite item at sweetsnthings is "Happy Ending" five sample slices of cold-pressed olive oil soap, (a cool way to try all of her scents) mmmmmm...lemon sunshine sounds refreshing!

    Thanks for the opportunity to participate!
    brandy @ brandywinedesign . net

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  13. What a great giveaway! Thanks for introducing me.

    arizonarachel@hotmail.com

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  14. I'm a new GFC follower!

    arizonarachel@hotmail.com

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  15. My favorite item is the Island soap: http://www.etsy.com/listing/70815021/the-island-cold-process-soap

    IT WAS INSPIRED BY LOST! I NOW LOVE THIS WOMAN :)

    arizonarachel@hotmail.com

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  16. Hello! I'm new here :) I found you on Picket Fence. I'm Kassandra from Coffee and their Kisses. I'd love to enter, kass102885 @ gmail dot com

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  17. Rhea has a lovely shop of goodies. Yesterday I couldn't decide which was my favorite so I chose a 5pk olive oil soap sampler to comment about as my fave but since then my comment got deleted :? and someone purchased my favorite item (or it's disappeared) :/ so now i'll go with the HIPPY HEAVEN handmade soap! sounds good to me! ;)

    brandy at brandywinedesign dot net

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  18. i like this blog

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  19. Always have great pics and I would love to win this for my mother! I really hope that it is me.

    mapennin@ncsu.edu

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  20. just found this blog, it is great!!! i hope that i win!!!

    bubblypink92@aol.com

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  21. i enjoy this blog, it is quite comical and creative.
    im liking those shampoo bars and those lip smackers soap
    alg_ahs@yahoo.com

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  22. this would be such a good present for Britt!

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  23. i am entering right now, hope i win! great blog by the way.

    sj_thompson@embarqmail.com

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  24. I absolutely love the chocolate covered almond soap bar - it looks delicious enough to eat!

    funnybigtoe@gmail.com

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  25. If there is one thing I love its lemony shampoo.

    lee.salevan@gmail.com

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  26. it's fantastic, absolutely life changing. i will never think the same way about do it yourself remodeling you are an inspiration to us all

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  27. What a great giveaway! Thanks for introducing me.

    arizonarachel@hotmail.com

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  28. My favorite item is the Island soap: http://www.etsy.com/listing/70815021/the-island-cold-process-soap

    IT WAS INSPIRED BY LOST! I NOW LOVE THIS WOMAN :)

    arizonarachel@hotmail.com

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  29. I'm following Rhea's blog with GFC
    arizonarachel@hotmail.com

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  30. I'm following Rhea's blog.

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  31. Hello! I'm new here :) I found you on Picket Fence. I'm Kassandra from Coffee and their Kisses. I'd love to enter, kass102885 @ gmail dot com

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  32. I am following your blog via GFC

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  33. YUM! What great combinations. I am following along so I can keep up with you. Added you to my circle as well.
    lisa@lisamgriffin.com

    Favorite would be Caribbean Cruise, sounds wonderful. :)

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  34. Thanks so much for the giveaway!
    maddiemb {at} comcast (dot) net

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  35. I follow you via Google Friend Connect.
    maddiemb {at} comcast (dot) net

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  36. My favorite item is the Chocolate Covered Almond, Handmade Vegan Soap.
    maddiemb {at} comcast (dot) net

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  37. I follow Rhea's Blog via Google Friend Connect.
    maddiemb {at} comcast (dot) net

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  38. I shared this giveaway on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/shala.darkstone/posts/119616771453722
    Here's my tweet - http://twitter.com/#!/shala_darkstone/status/69569329766735873
    maddiemb {at} comcast (dot) net

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  39. I would love to win! :)
    melissahoop88 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  40. I'm following your blog via my RSS.

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  41. I'm also now following Rhea's blog

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  42. My favorite thing in her shop is definitely the whipped soap. I'm addicted to hand soap!

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  43. Anddd I just tweeted about the giveaway! @melissa_hoop88

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  44. The products look perfectly edible!
    Freerwaters@gmail.com

    thanks, fellow estier
    http://www.etsy.com/people/Leathery?ref=si_pr

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  45. I knwo this is closed but I am doing a big giveaway and was wodnerign if you wanted to give soemthign, Let me know on my blog by the 5th!

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