I’ve become mildly obsessed with sparkly and glittery things lately.  Maybe it’s the holidays and NYE, or maybe it’s just that glitter is awesome.  Either way, here are some of my favorite sparkly picks from Etsy:

Fine silver post earrings with iridescent silver sparkles $47

Tiny Galaxies (the whole shop is sparkly!)

Black Noir Resin Glitter Heart $20

I Sew Cute (lots of glitter here too)

Silver Sparkle Bow Clips $19

Janine Basil

Blackened Silver Sequins Clutch $45 (sale)

It’s So Clutch

1970s Sequin Dress  $64

Wildfell Hall Vintage

]]> http://www.smilesgowitheverything.com/2011/12/28/etsy-love-sparkles/feed/ 0 http://www.smilesgowitheverything.com/2011/07/20/etsy-love-wall-decor/ http://www.smilesgowitheverything.com/2011/07/20/etsy-love-wall-decor/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:52:08 +0000 Diana http://www.smilesgowitheverything.com/?p=7078 Continue reading →]]> *On occasion, I take a look at some of the beautiful items found at one of the best places for buying and selling hand-made and vintage: Etsy.  Buying hand-made and vintage lets you own beautiful, unique objects with character.  It keeps things out of the landfills and supports artists and small businesses who are trying to make a living doing what they love.  If you have a particular theme you’d love to see, drop me a line and let me know. *

One of my on-going projects this summer has been de-cluttering and redecorating my studio/office.  I’ve been getting rid of tons of crap I didn’t need, and that’s been leaving me with some newly empty walls that I’m itching to fill with some awesome indie art.  Here’s some of the pieces I’m considering.  Which do you think I  should get?

Original Framed Abstract Wood Sculpture Art, $65

Paint Square

Lovely Lady Yellow Flowers Design Original Watercolor 8×10, $40

Print Maker Jenn

Castle Rock Original Map Painting, $85

Rachel Austin

Create – Hand Embroidery in 5″ Hoop, $25

Merriweather Council

Passing Shower – Limited Edition Giclee Print, $25

Eloise Renouf

Crocodile Scales, $30

Farouche

I’m not a big fan of putting mysterious chemicals on my skin.  I’d much rather stick to natural ingredients that have been proven to have positive effects on the skin over the centuries.  If those items are handmade by artisans, even better.  I think that’s it’s a good and positive thing to pamper yourself, and these items are the perfect way to do that.

Olive Blossom Perfume Oil

Orange Thyme

Undressed Lip Balm

DressGreen

Flower Balm

FiveSeed

Lemon Poppyseed Soap

Cocoa Beans

Dead Sea Mud Masque

Natural Logic

The beautiful, geometric folds of origami can apply to more than just paper when it comes to Etsy.

Origami Fabric Tiles Necklace, $25

Chomel

Silver Origami Cat Earrings, $32

Allegro Arts

Origami Kuru Shou Sienna, $38

Homako

Sterling Silver Origami Crane Necklace, $30

Piper Blue

Black Leaf Studs Sterling Silver, $65

Lila Ruby King

Draping Silver Drops, $40

Local Library

Modern Leaf Earrings, $19

Splurge

Large Silver Cuff with Geometric Pattern, $160

To the Metal

Sterling Silver Ring Remember, $377

The Jewelry Story

I’m still in the midst of re-doing my kitchen, and it now seems that part of that entails getting a new clock.  I’ve had a reproduction kit-kat clock for years, but they just aren’t as good as the originals, which are way out of my price range (I saw one on eBay for $225).  My Kit Kat is starting to bite the dust, which doesn’t surprise me since it’s made out of cheap plastic.  So now I need a replacement.  Here’s my criteria:

• It needs to be battery operated.  I think corded clocks look tacky and are potentially a fire hazard.
• It needs to be readable/ have numbers.  There’s all sorts of crazy, artsy clocks out there.  I need something that actually tells me the time.
• It needs to have a retro/mod feel (though not necessarily be vintage)

Here’s what I found:

Large Retro Modern Clock with Numbers, $62

Uncommon

Vintage Bulova Yellow Wall Clock, $38

Drowsy Swords

70s Modern Wall Clock in Faux Bois, $25

Zelda 110

Vintage School Wall Clock, $65

AM Radio

Folks, I think an obsession is brewing.  It started with a small and growing collection of vintage Pyrex as well as a few Hazel Atlas mugs.  Now my love (cough, obsession) with vintage kitchenwares is expanding to a new realm: West Bend.

I first took notice of West Bend when I was putting together an Etsy Vintage Kitchen set awhile back.  I fell in love with the iconic mid-century look of the fork and spoons bean pot.  Then I did more research and realized that the penguin ice bucket I grew up with came from the same brand.  Now I’ve ordered a set of canisters for my newly painted kitchen.  It’s obsession I tell you.  Obsession.

West Bend Serving Oven, $9.99

The Treasured Past

West Bend Mustard 9 Cup Percolator, $17

Forrestina Vintage

West Bend Penguin Ice Bucket, $17

Marriane Clare

Mid-century Fork and Spoons Bean Pot, $10

School of Vintage

West Bend Mustard Striped Tin Canisters, $8.50 (sale)

Boots N Gus

While shopping for my man, I found a pretty good selection of awesome stuff on Etsy.   I’ve always found shopping for guys kind of tricky, so I put together a set of guy-friendly awesomeness I found on Etsy.

Note: I know that creating a gendered list can create some issues.  Please note that I’m not saying all guys will like these items, nor am I saying that women should not like them.

Alien Invasion Men’s Glow-in-the-dark Tee, $18

Northwest Shirts

Wooden iPhone Dock, $25

WouldWorks

Sandalwood with Aloe Vera and Rhassoul Clay, $5

Beautiful Soaps

Mid-century Modern Clock, $16

Look Back Vintage

50′s Navy Striped Silk Tie, $22

Hold The Wire

Vintage Grey Fedora, $29

Bright Wall

Note:  (Gift cards to your favorite local independent bookstore are pretty awesome too).

Tea Time With Dewey, $12, American Library Association Store

(It has the Dewey number for tea on it.  How cute it that!  They have ones for coffee and hot chocolate as well)

Unshelved, $14.95

(I subscribe to Unshelved’s blog, and I’m always cracking up every time I read it. This is a must for anyone who’s ever worked in a public library)

Lovely Bag in Mustard Yellow, $29, Bayanhippo

(Because every librarian should have a gorgeous tote to carry home his/her books in.  Leave those ugly conference totes at the reference desk.)

Library Card Notebook, $6, Crab Apple Design

(Because I’m nostalgic for old library technology that’s no longer used)

That’s How I Roll T-shirt, $25 (sale), Cafepress

(This tee is perfect, because pretty much everyone who’s ever worked in a library has had to push a book cart at some point.  There’s an insanely huge selection of library related items on Cafepress.)

Open Page Book Holder, Standard Size, $11.50 and Up, Book Mate

(That’s a dreadfully boring picture, but it’s an insanely useful item.  I’ve had one of these for years, and along with their Fold N’ Stow bookholder, I’ve used it to read books while eatting, knitting, running on the treadmill, etc.  It makes reading while doing other tasks so much easier, because your hands are free)

One reason why I love Etsy is that it has so many beautiful, artistic, unique things to look at and wear.  I love it when art and wearables collide, as it can turn out so incredibly.  These are a few pieces of wearable art that I’ve fallen for on Etsy.  Buy a few and wear them to your next gallery opening.

Berry Beaujolais Hand-dyed Jersey Panel Top, $69.99

Noel Fales

Half Moon Hoops – Turquoise Color, $27

Meetals

Ocean Sculptural Necklace in Blues, $70

Taylor’s Eclectic

Sterling Silver Cuff, $150

Cyndie Smith Designs

Crown Lace Ring, $90

Ardent1