ETSY: Holiday Shopping, Handmade Style

As most of you know, I am addicted to browsing around on Etsy. It is so inspiring to see all the beautiful handmade work out there. I often have trouble deciding what to buy. I thought I would share a few of my favorite shops with you just before the holiday shopping season kicks off!

Accessories:

photo via milloo	Milloo This shop has fantastic bags and cosmetic pouches. All hand sewn in Greece, the quality is outstanding. I already own two of these bags and can tell you they hold up fantastically. Their customer service is friendly and informative. Good luck picking just one!
photo via Remixed by Jacki	Remixed By Jacki  This shop is great for infinity scarves, scarflette (as shown to the left) as well as head scarves and other adorable accssories. Based out of New England, this shop is great for holiday presents for anyone on your list. I own many Remixed by Jacki items- there is something to go with any outfit, and the yarn scarflettes are so soft and cozy, you won't want to take it off!
photo via Foodphyte	Foodphyte  I can personally vouch for these aprons. I own one that I had ordered a few years ago for when working at craft fairs. It is literally the perfect apron. The aprons come in a variety of styles, colors and patterns. Plus, if you need to customize it to your needs, those options are available too. These are great for the kitchen, garden or craft room. Plus these aprons have been seen on Cupcake Wars!
photo via SeoulLittle	SeoulLittle  This cute little ampersand has been on my wish list for a while now. I have been admiring the shop from afar. The shop is full of tiny little treasures, you are sure to find something you love.

Art, Photography or Prints:

photo via Dirty Bandits	Dirty Bandits I absolutely love the "calendar of silly holidays" - but this shop is full of so much more. With a focus on typography and silly design, there is something in this shop that is sure to grab your attention. Plus- they have adorable wooden signs that are a great accessory to any christmas tree (or anywhere else that suits your fancy.)
photo via Stamp and Note Photo	Stamp and Note Photo A Massachusetts based photographer that offers photo cards, prints and magnets. Her photography is crisp, refreshing and a delight to the eye. The prints would make a great addition to any home. Don't know where you'd hang one? Maybe the photo cards are for you. All cards come with a forever stamp, so its ready to send to whom ever you wish! These make great holiday cards for everyone.
photo via 1canoe2	1canoe2  I first saw these guys at the National Stationery show this year. Their booth looked amazing. The shop is full of letterpress goodness as well as simple elegant illustrations. It's full of great gift ideas from cards and recipe cards, to calendars and art prints. I have a hard time deciding which is my favorite! Although I am pretty sure that one of their recipe cards will end up on my wedding registry eventually!
photo via PhotographyDream	Photography Dream  This shop is based out of Paris. Its "Small Trades" series (example to the left) are my favorite. They would be perfect as a grouping together or just one by itself in a studio space. The shop offers more than just prints and even custom sizes if you wish.
photo via The Art of Michelle	The Art of Michelle  Let me start by saying... this girl has some major talent. I admire when someone can accomplish the amount of detail that she can, and with watercolors at that! What I love about this shop is the custom house prints. She takes custom orders, but there is a waiting list. You may not make it in time for this holiday season.

Home Decor & More:

photo via dahlhaus	dahlhaus This shop is often found on treasuries on the front page and I find myself clicking through, every time. I think its the beautiful simplicity that draws me in. Perfect for anywhere in your home.
photo via Citizens Collectibles	Citizens Collectibles  I first laid eyes on these cute little guys when a "citizen" that looked like D landed in my feed. (check it out... here). How cute are these guys? Thrown them on a couch or a shelf or anywhere in your home. They are customizable to make them look like your family!
photo via Room for Emptiness	Room for Emptiness  Simple black and white is offset by the amount of detail in these pieces. Hand painted plates cups and more would make a great addition to anyones china cabinet.
photo via Butterscotch Beestings	Butterscotch & Beestings  I love the randomness of this shop! Circus inspired housewares that are sure to make you smile. For people that know me, I have a slight obsession with pillows (you can never have too many) and this is what brought me to this shop. To my surprise- they had much more than just pillow. Go take a look!

So thats what I have for you thus far. I have been working on a Christmas list like this, hopefully will post soon. Do you have some favorite Etsy shops that you would love to share? Post a comment with your favorites (or your own shop). I would love to check them out!

FOXY: Etsy Front Page

Naturally- as part of my morning routine.... I log onto Etsy. To my surprise, I was delighted to see the front page be a fox theme this morning! Look at all the super cute stuff!

Via Etsy

See something you like? Links to the items shown above below. I am particularly loving the Fox tote bag and the fox book ends (both in the top row). Enjoy!

Top Row:
Fox Bookends, Fox Dress Up Hat, Fox Toy Softie, Fox Tote Bag

Middle Row:
Fox Print, Fox Pendant Necklace, Fox Brooch, Fox Card

Bottom Row:
Fox Tail, Fox Top, Fox Scarf, Fox Illustration

Not Show:
Fox Ring (LOVE THIS!), Forest Animal Brooch, Crochet Fox Pillow, Hand Painted Wood Fox

To see the complete treasury by Papiki titled "foxes, foxes, foxes!" - click here.

WEEKEND: Supply Shopping and House Hunting

I spent the weekend running around like a crazy person, dragging D along side with me. (actually he was nice enough to be my chauffeur and drive me around like a crazy person) Anyway. It is safe to say that I am ready for any holiday COZYmade orders. Which is great because I have already begun to sell holiday wreaths thanks to Etsy using my wreath in the Holiday Browse section for the Wreath category for a whole week.

I feel somewhat prepared- with the exception of lack of a proper work space. However- I am use to this since I haven't had a proper workspace in quite sometime. Which brings me to my second task of the weekend- House Hunting.

For those of you who are home owners, you understand. House hunting is a ridiculous process, and I am a little pickier than I had anticipated. I have been looking at houses and dreaming of a place to call my own for YEARS. This is not to say that I have been ready to buy for years, I've just been looking. I am not one of those people who can't see past the cosmetics of a house. I don't mind if I have to put in a little work to make it a home, but the process is a little frustrating and harder than I anticipated. Willing to redo a kitchen because its original to a house- sure. Willing to rewire the entire house- not so much. Taking down wallpaper form the entire house- I can handle it. Needs a new septic system and all new plumbing- I'll pass.

Photo Credit: Shop Vol25 via Etsy

I gave this print to D for Valentine's Day last year. We have been day dreaming about a new house for a while and finally are in the position of purchasing. This will be the first thing we hang when we finally have a place.

What I have learned thus far from my house hunt is this:

• Don't start looking at houses before you're ready to buy: A few years ago I went to an open house. I was just driving by, saw the sign, had always liked the house and so we decided to go in. A few years ago, the market was at a completely different place so the house was in a different price bracket. I loved it. Since we weren't ready to buy yet, it was a love from afar. Now... every house I go into- I compare to that house. Making the house hunting just that much harder.
• It's good to see everything, even if the listing looks like crap: We have been looking at houses not only with our fantastic Realtor, but also going to open houses on the weekends. A lot of the time, houses in person look completely different than their listings. This can happen for 2 reasons: The listing agent has an amazing photographer or the listing agent has a horrible photographer. I have learned not to judge a house by its listing (unless of course it says something like, house needs to be completely gutted... thats not in my plans.)
• Keep an eye on houses that are slightly out of your budget: If you have a budget of say $300,000. Expand your search slightly higher. There could be a seller willing to negotiate OR if they don't get offers the price could be reduced and you will be ahead of the ball by already knowing about it.
• Make a list of the must haves and the wants: You may already have a list of everything you want in a house. Come to find out, if your budget is tight- chances of you getting everything on your wish list will be slim. Make a 2 (or 3) column list with your "must haves", your "wants" and your "deal breakers". This helps not only you, but also your Realtor help you find the right home for you.
• Search multiple websites: If you have a Realtor, they most likely have set you up on the MLS website to view listings. I have found other sites to be slightly more easy to read. Try Zillow or Redfin (my personal favorite- but only available in some areas). You may need an account to view all information on a listing, but it's free and well worth it.

Now- take my advice with a grain of salt because I have yet to find the home I want to purchase. However, this is completely a learning process for me. Since D has owned a condo prior to this search, he is a little ahead of the game... but this is new to me. My first home. I seriously can not wait to find "the one". I can sadly report... we didn't find anything this weekend that was a contender.

COZYmade: Us Weekly Feature!

I know I have mentioned before that I was unsure in what direction I wanted my COZYmade shop to go, but I am excited to share the following news. My new felt bobby pins have been featured in Us Weekly! Head over to the shop and grab yours today. They will make excellent little gifts for the holidays.

I have a few more inquiries about these bobby pins and I will share when I have more info- but for now, share in my excitement!

COZYmade

Hello from the world wide web! This will be post 1, just to get it out of the way.

So don't get to excited, this post is slightly low on rich content. I will introduce you to my current Etsy shop COZYmade. Here are a few fun wreaths for the upcoming fall/winter months.

I am still in the process of figuring out what exactly I want COZYmade to be, but in the meantime, I am having fun learning and creating. Enjoy!