A Note About Life & Some Etsy Picks

I'll be honest with you guys... life right now is a little crazy. And it's not crazy like "omg I am so busy I can't breathe." But instead, crazy in the sense that there are a lot of big transitions going on in my life and it's leaving little time for me to focus my thoughts and energy on my blog. (I've also hardly been on Pinterest or Instagram.. craziness!!)

There are other bloggers that I have followed for years that I've seen go through the same thing.. and I think that's the great thing about following your favorite blogs. You see these bloggers grow as people as they go through life.... even if it means there is a little "down time" on their blogs once and a while.

With that being said, I cannot wait to share with you all of the exciting transitions that are happening in my life. As you know, one of them is our kitchen.. which currently is at a stand still. The tile is in, but we are still waiting on the counters. I'm ready to get this kitchen update past us!!

But stick around, and I'll definitely be sharing more with you soon :)

In other news, I haven't done an Etsy pick update in forever! So I thought I would share some fun picks with you today:

"Drive To Charleston" Painting on Fabric

What a sweet little painting!! It's only 4" x 4" and I love that the artist painted directly on a classic ticking fabric. I also love that the artist is in Charleston.. I'm starting to think this would be a great anniversary present since we will indeed be "driving to Charleston" for our anniversary ;)

"Landscape on Unstretched Canvas"

Another beautiful abstract from Etsy.. I really love this artist, Brooke Wandall. And this piece is priced really well because it's not stretched (you could easily have it done locally).

Peru 16 Pillow

 I love, love, love the gold applique on this pillow. It's graphic and pretty at the same time!

Gold Knot Ring

I wear a thin gold band on the middle finger on my left hand and I'd love to add more to it to create a stacked look. I really love this very small and sweet little knot ring.

Citrine & Labradorite Necklace

I love the color combination of these stones.. they are so perfect for fall!

Etsy Art

I've been sourcing some art for a client and one of the sources I searched recently was Etsy (no new news there, I love Etsy art!) But this time, I was looking at oil paintings.

There are some really great oil paintings available on Etsy.. and it's a great place to start an art collection (the prices are really great!)

This first artist is my favorite Etsy artist right now.. and she does a lot of custom pieces. Her paintings are so peaceful, I hope to own one of her pieces someday.

J Shears

This artist paints whimsical pieces and also beautiful landscapes. I'm not normally a cow person, but I love this white cow.

Roz Art

This next artist has a broad mix of work. Some of her pieces are a bit too much for my taste, but if you go through her Etsy shop there are some more simple, beautiful pieces.

Marina Petro

Affordable Art

Some beautiful (and affordable art) for you on this lovely Friday... have a great weekend!

All pieces can be found HERE.

Natural State

I've been loving jewelry with natural/almost raw stones and rocks. It started with the necklace my bff gave me:



If you're like me, you'll love this Etsy shop Friedasophie Jewelry Design I have stumbled upon. It's gorgeous!














Did I tell you guys I was born and spent a good part of my young life in hippie-ville Boulder, CO? I've got a major earthy side to me, and sometimes I wonder if it's because of those years there.

All images and pieces are found HERE.

A new favorite artist

I came across these prints on Etsy (featured on the front page) and I adore them. They aren't just pretty pictures... this artist, Jennifer Steen Booher, finds what is essentially trash and arranges it into beautiful art. I mean it when I say it's quickly become a favorite.

Amber Sea Glass and Beach China

Beach Combing Series no.34

Beach Combing Series No.16



Aluminum, Seaweed, Driftwood, Periwinkle

Blue and Green Sea Glass

I often get the question "how do you find such great stuff on Etsy? What do you search for?" Truth is - I don't really search at all. Almost everything I find is on the front page. I visit Etsy almost every day (sometimes a couple times a day) for e-decorating clients, so I see a lot :)

Etsy Favorites

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I love sharing Etsy favorites with you. I am on Etsy a lot for e-decorating clients, so I tend to come across pretty little things often. Here are my current faves...

[ click image to view etsy listing! ]

My New Bowl

I got a new bowl! I know... normally I wouldn't blog about something so lame. But this is a really cool bowl. Check it out:





Silver on the outside, peacock blue enamel on the inside. Is that awesome or what?!

I don't know whether or not I want to polish the outside or keep it crazy tarnished like it is now. Hmmm..

I got it off of Etsy (of course).

I did some googling and found this ad.. I guess the bowl is from 1958!



I LOVE old stuff.

An Etsy Gem

I stumbled upon this Etsy store via Kirsten. What a gem I have found!

The shop is called "giardino" and sells many different things. But my favorite are her hand blocked fabrics:











My favorite favorite is this thistle fabric:



I think I need it in my home, yup!

The Best Hostess Gift

This is the BEST hostess gift. I'm surprised someone hasn't snatched it up yet.... here's your chance!

FOR THE HOSTESS Vintage Book Set - $20

Darn, it has sold. But this is a great idea to store away for the future. You can find similar books at flea markets :)

Holiday Gift Guide 2010 : Children

I'm running a little late this morning so no explanations... just links :) Here are some of my favorite things for little kiddos!

1 - Sushi Play Food - $9.45
2 - Upcycled Crayon - $2
3- Batik Sealion Artwork - $27
4 - Sock Monkey Hat - $20
5 - Wood Rings - $35
6 - Handmade Rabbit Doll - $48

Holiday Gift Guide 2010 : Men

I'm here with the Men's installment of the Esty Holiday Gift Guide.



1 - Monogrammed Leather Wallet - $140
You can't go wrong with getting your man a really nice wallet. My husband purchased a great wallet years ago and it's still going strong.

2 - Gentleman's Soap - $5
I just have to copy and post the description from Etsy.. it sounds like it smells amazing: "Tobacco and black tea are the dominate notes with hints of fruit and spice blended to remind you of the Gentlemen's clubs of the 18th century. This soap has a heady, masculine scent that will have your nose craving more."

3 - 3D Lion Shirt - $32
This is the perfect gift for those of us who cannot get our husband's 3D TVs this year ;)

4 - Recycled Red Stripe Drinking Glasses - $15
I think these are so cool. You can get your guy's favorite beer made into drinking glasses. I'm partial to the Red Stripe ones.. they have a great logo ;)

5 - Evergreen Painting - $100
A great starter painting that reads very masculine to me. Art may not be something a guy would pick for himself, but it's a very special gift.

6 - Junk Container - $32
This gift makes me laugh a little. Doesn't it always seem that guys have "junk" laying around? I know, one man's trash is another man's treasure. This could be a cute tongue-in-cheek gift.

7 - Laptop Sleeve - $60
A gorgeous tweed-like fabric with leather.. so cool and guy-ish (even though I like the combo for myself, too).

Tomorrow will be a fun one - kiddos!

(None of these sellers nor Etsy.com has compensated me for this post.)

Holiday Gift Guide 2010 : Women

I decided to do a little Holiday gift guide series this year featuring all things from Etsy.com. You all know how much I love Etsy - I'm all about supporting artists and handmade. It's also nice knowing you're giving something truly one of a kind!

1 - Large Leather Tote Bag - $100
This bag is beautiful and a fraction of the price of a designer bag. The style and color are classic, I'm sure any women would love to get this!

2 - Vintage Glass Candlesticks - $65
I was so blown away by this color. They are a bit pricey for candlesticks, but so unique and beautiful. You could design an entire table around them.

3 - Fig and Almond Sugar Polish - $6.50
A great stocking stuffer or hostess gift. Just reading the description makes me want to take a bath. You can even use it on your face!

4 - Sewn Moleskine Notebook - $6.50
This notebook is so pretty! It would surely get compliments when pulled out to jot down some notes. And.. it's made in France. So cool :)

5 - Blue Topaz Ring - $169
This ring is STUNNING. Not much more to say about that!

6 - Romo Seraphine Lumber Pillow - $65
I adore the pattern on this pillow. And the down insert is included! I'm sure you know my favorite part... the matching piping!

7 - Magic Carpet Painting - $40
This painting is so beautiful. It's small (5x7) but packs a big punch. At first it looks like a piece of marble paper, but as you get closer you'll see it's hand painted. A perfect piece of original art on a budget.

Tomorrow I'll be posting an Etsy gift guide for men and one for children/babies on Weds!

(None of these sellers nor Etsy.com has compensated me for this post.)

Boardwalk Empire: My New Favorite

Anyone out there watch Boardwalk Empire? I love it. I love not only the story line, but the clothes and especially the interiors.







If you don't have HBO, you can go here to watch clips to see the costume and sets.

When the first episode aired, I told my husband that the 50's and 60's trend of Mad Men has now been replaced with the 20's and 30's.

I need some 1920's in my life... I recently came across these beautiful prints on Look Linger Love.

Both prints are by Etsy seller TUSH TUSH.

Aren't they amazing?!