little animals

rather than spending tons of money on cheaply-made mass-produced plushies at the mall, how about going onto etsy and buying things made with love?

etsy has way more than just animals dolls, but i like em, so eh.

1. nonesuch garden - handmade designer wool plush dolls
2. violoa studio - handcrafted creations made repurposed materials
3. oh ma felt - plushies with cheek
4. story builder toys - quality handmade wooden and stuffed toys

pouches

a great way to keep organized when traveling is using lots of baggies to keep your stuff separate: electronics, chargers, intimates, swimwear, cosmetics, toiletries, dirty clothes... and while some people like to use a matching set of bags, i find that too confusing. if it's all the same pattern, how do i know what's inside? enter etsy!

fabric pouches and water-repellent cases

small pouches are great for chargers - oktak: handmade pouches & bags

large pouches can be laundry bags - zoe tote: shoe bags and wine totes

zippered pouches double as purses - barn of colors: handcrafted eco friendly collections

water-proof bags for toiletries - seen1: products made from recycled advertising banners

cups!

i've been a little obsessed with glassware lately, probably because it's starting to get hot so i've been hydrating a lot (btw, the best oj is tropicana pure premium in the plastic bottles [which, oddly enough, i can't find on their website]. it's a little pricier but it's so good!). i like getting cups of the same set, but different from each other because it's easier to identify your own at a party.

cups of all kinds!

1. moustache cups - kaori glass: the place to find unique and fun glassware
2. a great mug - danmade pottery: for all of your ninjaware needs. 
3. high ball glasses, great for juice! and they remind me of pinatas!- vital: screen printed bike glasses
4. these tumblers glasses remind me of moroccan tea glasses, which i love - woodeye studios:  custom glassware

stationary

it's summer, which means you're gonna need a whole lot of please come to my or happy fill-in-the-occasion-here cards. the stuff on etsy might be a little more expensive than if you were going to buy a box of cards from target, but these are handmade and you can even personalize them if you wish!

bbq postcards, bday invitations, thank you cards, and congratulations notes!

each of these etsy stores has many many more products, i just picked a card from each to show a variety of things. but i think it's pretty clear even from these four what my aesthetic is. :)

from left to right:
girlingear studio: modern & handmade paper products for home
cutie patootie creations: personalized t-shirts, invitations, oil...
lucky bee press: letterpress paper goods
three dog party: typewriters + dogs = magic!

felting

a couple years ago i got interested in needle felting, which, if you're not afraid of needles and like soft little figurines, i suggest you take up since it's incredibly easy. i only made one thing, a simple sheep, but some people, like f for felt, can make crazy amazing things.

etsy store: f for felt
prices vary

she did most of the main cast from alice and wonderland (the rabbit in the above pictures is the one who leads alice down the hole). and most of her stuff is 100% felted, even the eyes! all her stuff is SO amazing. my favorites, though, are her bear skin "rugs." she even has a hot pink one! :)

$49 each

leather work

halloween is not quite upon us but a masquerade ball can be held any time of year! tom banwell makes incredibly beautiful leather masks, headdresses, headbands, and cuffs which can be found in his store on etsy.

store: tom banwell designs
leather mask prices: $19.50 - $84 

look again!

etsy isn't just for "girlie" crap, you know. you can also buy a lot of awesome accessories for your tech stuff. i picked the ones below because at first glance, it seems like something else. look again and it's actually a a case for your digital accessories!

1. gameboy iphone cozy ($25), 2. laptop sleeve ($40), 3. cassette iphone case ($20)

4. recycled shirt ipad sleeve ($55), 5. felt ipad case ($55), 6. camera cozy ($24)

etsy stores:
1. yummy pocket -handmade iphone, ipod, and ipad cases

2. flak eater - wwII military inspired messenger bags and accessories

3. Crank Cases - iphone, ipod ipad android cases

4. finders&keepers - unique objects for everyday life

5. les petits chantons – felt sleeves for accessories

6. plushism - custom handmade love

black apples

i fell in love with emily winfield of the black apple many years ago when they were just simple portraits of big-eyed girls. but it's been nice to see her grow! today she does all sort of stuff including notebooks, postcards, pins, recipe cards, and her prints.

store: the black apple
prices: $5 pins - $30 prints

cake stands

with food, taste isn't everything. you most likely see it before you eat it so good presentation helps! (i keep thinking about cake stands because we went to abbot kinney a few weekends ago and saw a shop that was filled with beautiful things, including cake stands. wish i had taken pictures!)

here are some beautiful cake stands from burlap + blue. they sell other things too, like coasters and wreaths, but i love cake so... :)

store: burlap + blue
prices: $15 - $40 (cake stands)

modern jewelry

i love jewelry. so a lot of my etsy posts will probably be featuring jewelry designers. sorry! ...tho it is my blog, so eh.

arosha luigi taglia actually has two stores: arosha of contemporary jewelry and sleeks, where he sells items made from handmade silk. both modern and simple, but very different in materials and feel. the items here are all from arosha.

etsy store: arosha
prices vary

finger puppets!

melanie of sweet melly jane makes the cutest finger puppets. well, she makes other stuff too, but i especially love her puppets!!

etsy store: sweet melly jane
prices vary

felt & feathers

off all the world's talent, i think it's fair to say that etsy.com has more than it's fair share of talent. (awkward sentence, oh well). laura of larisa71, for instance, creates the most beautiful bib necklaces and brooches suing mostly felt and feathers. and for incredibly cheap too!

etsy store: larisa71
prices $10 - $20

beardie

i never fail to be anything less than waaaaay impressed when i visit etsy.com. so rather than simply moon about it to myself and favorite things, i'm going to start putting them up on my site.

a few months ago i was a bit obsessed with breads. yarn beards. soooo cute!

etsy store: i made you a beard
felt beards ~$18   yarn beards $40

etsy store: delicious beards
child beards $15   adult beards $25-30