Happy Anniversary Pink Cottage Soaps

One year ago today, I opened my Etsy shop, Pink Cottage Soaps. I started with some basic soaps and hand knits that I had made here at home,  in my tiny cottage. For years,  people had been suggesting to me that I should open an Etsy shop. I didn't even consider it.  I worried that I wasn't proficient enough with technology. I thought that I would have to hire someone to input the inventory on the computer.  I was afraid that I wouldn't understand how to maintain the site, and that I would forget what I had learned. It turned out to be far easier than I had expected. Etsy's format is really easy to follow. I found that I enjoyed writing copy, taking photographs, and uploading them to the website. To my happiness and surprise, the sales poured in, and I was in business! Nearly everyone who tried the soap came back and ordered more for themselves and for gifts. Many people became regular customers, and started buying their Christmas and Holiday presents from me, as well. Not only that, but they left very articulate, happy, complimentary  reviews. Positive comments and five star ratings really attract new customers. It makes all the difference when you are running a small business. I couldn't have done it without them.

One year later, I'm realizing that it's so nice to be able to work from home. I had always assumed that I would be dancing and/or still teaching dance and yoga until I was a very old lady. I never anticipated that I would become creaky with arthritis, and need to have both hips replaced at age 50. This has been the ideal career switch for me. It's fun, creative, and easy on the joints. Ballet isn't. I'm pretty sure that I will be a writer, soapmaker and knitter for the rest of my life. It's a very rewarding career. It's also such a relief to be healthy, strong, and fit again. The pain in my hips is gone, and I feel thirty years younger.

Blogging has become the next leg of this tour. It all fits together nicely. In the back of my mind I always knew that I wanted to complete the second half of my life as a writer. I used to pen cover stories, features, and a monthly column for a magazine called Dancer. The name of my column was The Awakened Soul. That's where I got the name for this blog. It's amazing to me that we can publish content now from our own living rooms. When I was working for the magazine, I would submit my articles by email. I did the same with the photographs. Now I am able to do all of those things myself, thanks to Blogger. I think what I have learned is not to be so intimidated by technology. It seems to keep getting easier and easier. I'm now using Facebook, Pinterest, forums, and Blogger. I have recently added Google Translation here. I was surprised and happy to see that we have many readers from all over the world. I hope this will make it so that everyone reading can understand the articles. Thank you to those of you who are sharing them on Facebook. I am working on a book about my life as a dancer, and increasing views here will help me to get that book published.

Please leave a comment below, if you have time. I am interested in hearing about the subjects that interest you, and  also any questions or ideas that you may have. According to the stats, there are a lot of readers  who are avid gardeners and backyard orchardists, so tomorrow's post will be about choosing fruit trees for your climate. Thank you for stopping by; I appreciate it!