Virgo || Star Signs

As we head into September it's a perfect time explore some gifts made especially for Virgo's or those that have birthdays between August 23rd and September 22nd.  If you fall under this star sign you are known for your analytical skills and your thrifty nature which sounds like you have great traits for shopping on Etsy. Happy Birthday Virgo!

Virgo || Star Sign
1. zodiac memory || 88 editions
2. felted soap || So Fino
3. lavender gift set || Swamp Angel Soap
4. virgo art print || Krize
5. constellation locket || Khara LeDonne
6. virgo necklace || Brooklyn Charm

Uplift Your Heart with Roses!

Lately, I've fallen in love with the fragrance of roses.  I love the rich and earthy scent that opens your heart and instantly feels relaxing.  I wish that I had a rose garden so I could have fresh roses in my house all during the summer, but I'll take any of these above choices instead!  In fact, I use the Lavender and Rose aromatherapy roller by The Living Earth Botanicals everyday and feel refreshed each time I put it on.  Ginger and Amanda add a hint of vanilla to their mix and it makes for a really soothing and calming scent - love it!  By indulging in this set of 4 rose scented items, you can surround yourself with the healing essence of roses all day long.

top left  Rose & Fresh Mint Vegan Soap  ||  Swamp Angel Soap
top right  Rose Lip Balm  ||  Winsom & Green
bottom left  Lavender & Rose Aromatherapy in a Jiffy  ||  The Living Earth Botanicals
bottom right  Rose & Geranium Shea Body Butter  ||  Auriel Marie

Friday Favorites from Etsy

One thing I love about Etsy is that you never know what you are going to find.  I enjoy finding new shops or artists and so I decided to share with you some of my recent favorite finds.  I am in this metallic mood, so I have been drawn to gold leafed or items finished in gold or brass like this spotted gold leaf vessel by the object enthusiast or these geometric trays by the vintage vogue.  I love soap and I love giving it as gifts so these beautifully wrapped ones from Amumii Naturals would be perfect.  I've already shared my love of all things dipped so I am drawn to everything in the Jac and Jill shop, but these Shibori tie dye pillows in this lattice pattern is so me!  I hope you have enjoyed my new finds and hopefully found something you love, too.

7 Ways to Live with Floral!

Folks, tomorrow is May 1st.  Yup, I'm feeling the warm sun on my skin, lush green lawns and bountiful flowers popping up everywhere!  I always make time to enjoy fresh flowers and love bringing their beauty into the home to freshen things up.  But today, I'm going to give you 7 ways to enjoy the power of florals everyday!  Each selection marks a different way you can live with florals - will you wear them, decorate your home with them, enjoy their scent in a perfume or take a bath in them?  Hmmmm...they all sound lovely!

Browse through the list below and find which one matches your style!


1.  Retro Dress in 1940's Floral || Let's Backtrack
2.  Floral Bath Tea, Cloud 9 || The Living Earth Botanicals
3.  Daisy and Burlap Hippie Tie Headband || Be Something New
4.  Floral Decor Love Typography Print || Pastel Fables
5.  Petal Pink Flower Pillow || Jillian Rene Decor
6.  Lavender Lace Necklace || Branchbound
7.  Vespertina Organic Botanical Perfume || Illuminated Perfume

Get Ready for Playing Outside!

1.  Skin Rescue Balm by Little Flower Soap Co
2.  Moisturizing Cream by The Living Earth Botanicals
3.  Sunblock Lotion SPF 20 by Cabin Creek Apothecary
4.  Raspberry Lemonade Lip Balm by Blushie
5.  Herbal Bug Spray by Growing Up Herbal

With summer around the corner, I'm thinking about the joy of spending more time outside in the fresh air.  I love digging around in my garden and have a list of items I like to make sure I have on hand.  It's pretty cool that you can find all your outdoor essentials on Etsy - what's better than handmade beauty products?  I've selected 5 items which I find to be super useful for spending time outside in the sun while playing in the dirt!

Growing Up Herbal | Simple. Natural. Gentle.

eucalyptus vapor rub
herbal bath bomb

Our main goal is to take you Inside Etsy and help you find quality shops and products. 

Growing Up Herbal is one of those shops you need to explore, especially if you have little ones.

Meagan's shop contains organic skincare products and herbal medicinals geared towards children.

From her home in the Appalachian Mountains of  Northeast Tennessee, her goal is to create products with highest quality ingredients + keep them pure, simple and natural. Her organic products range from oatmeal bath soak to skin salve and all are made with baby in mind. 

herbal baby oil
peppermint baby powder

Connect with Meagan :
Etsy Shop : Growing Up Herbal
Website: GrowingUpHerbal.com
Facebook: @GrowingUpHerbal
Pinterest: @MeaganVisser

Elite16 February Etsy Giveaway Winner: Is it YOU?

Happy Valentine's Day!  Thank you so much to all the participants in this month's Elite16 Etsy Giveaway with Holly's super delightful Valentine's Day Spa Gift Set!  We have a lucky winner who gets to treat herself right on this day of love and pampering—congratulations to Jodi C!  You get to enjoy Little Flower Soap Co's handmade, all natural goodness with 5 individual items: a bottle of pink grapefruit Himalayan bath salts, a pink grapefruit french clay soap, a chocolate lip balm, one mescle rescue tin and one skin rescue tin!  Oh-la-la!  Which will you use first?

A big thank you to Holly for joining in the fun this month - with 919 entries, this was a huge success!  Join us right here next month on the 7th of March for our next Elite16 Etsy Giveaway goodness!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Farewell Winter

Goodbye Winter, I don't think you will be missed too much. The idea of winter always sounds great around mid August, but as fall fades into colder and darker days, winter seems to linger a little longer than I would like.
There is beauty to celebrate within each season. That's why I have chosen some gorgeous items that encompass the feeling of winter, but would brighten anyone's day.

My farewell to winter collection..
❶ pendulum pendant ✪  The Vintage Vogue
❷ cherish 8x10 photo ✪ Allison Dandrea Photo
❸ sprouted sticks ✪ Alma Pottery
❹ aromatherapy gift set ✪ Terra Dei Farm
❺ cardboard mailers 7x9 ✪ Perrodin Supply Co. 
❻ maxi dress ✪ Victoria Westbury

Etsy has Your Tools for Self-Care!

1. Organic All-Purpose Skin Salve by Growing Up Herbal
2. Unbind Me: Aromatherapy Massage Oil by Terra Dei Farm
3. Rest & Restore Gift Set by Little Flower Soap Co
4. Natural Skincare Facial Peel & Mask by Winsome & Green
5. Gypsy Woods Soy Candle by Blushie

Today, I wanted to explore the topic of self-care and find out where you'd rate yourself when it comes to how well you treat yourself.  I know from my own experience that I've mastered taking care of other people - to the T!  Need help moving furniture?  I'm there with my truck.  Need me to let your doggies out to do their business?  I'm there to let them out and take them for a walk.  You get the picture.  When it comes to self-care, I'll be the first to admit that I fear I fail miserably.  On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 would mean you're a rock star self-care guru, I'm probably a minus 1.  Sometimes it's just plain ol' silly determination and stubbornness which prevent me from even taking care of my basic needs - like eating breakfast.  "Oh, it's 2pm - guess I should eat breakfast now!"  The good news - I recognize that this isn't healthy.  So in 2013, I'm devoting more energy to self-care!  

I've chosen 5 handmade beauty products all available on Etsy for an indulging evening of self-pampering goodness!  I love taking baths, but unfortunately I don't take them that often - so it's a perfect place for me to begin my 2013 self-care regime.  Each of the items play a key role.  First, we've got to draw the bath - not too hot, not too cold - and add a handful of Holly's Lavender Detox Bath Salts to the running water.  Can you smell the deliciousness already?   Now, I'm going to light one of Megan's Gypsy Woods Soy Candle to invite in the woodsy essence of nature - loving it!  Holly's Rest & Restore Gift Set also comes with 1 bar of lemon lavender soap - unwrapping that too!  While taking my restorative bath, I'm going to use Christa's all natural face mask & peel which comes in a powder so I can mix it with water in my hand and apply in the tub.  Relaxing further...  Hopefully I don't fall asleep and wake up in freezing cold water because once out of the tub, I'm treating myself to Alexandra's essential oil aromatherapy massage oil Unbind Me with frankincense, juniper berry and thyme.  And finally, I'm going to love any little scrapes or dry spots with Megan's All-Purpose Skin Salve with super healing herbs like comfrey, calendula, and plantain.  Wow - I'm a new woman just thinking about it!  

 

Ok, your turn.  Where do you fall on the self-care scale?  

  

An Introduction | Etsy Shop Winsome & Green

If we were to come over and forage through your medicine cabinet, what sort of beauty care items would we find?  We're not talking about quantity here, so don't worry if you like to hoard different moisturizers - from almost empty to half full.  What we're interested in here is the quality.  Your skin is your body's largest organ, which means that whatever you slather on your skin get absorbed by your body.  Don't you want to make sure you're feeding yourself an all natural skin care diet?  If you can't pronounce 3/4 of the ingredients on the label, chances are you don't want to sit down + essentially 'eat' a side serving of it by putting it on your skin.  Just ask Christa of Etsy shop Winsome & Green!  Christa understands the importance of not just treating the skin with all natural products, but also of living in co-creation with nature.  She uses eco-friendly and organic ingredients and never uses synthetic colors or fragrances.  Instead, she relies on nature to color her balms or to scent her products.  Inspired by nature with ingredients you can actually pronounce!  Good for the planet + good for your skin - so, go on...  Indulge yourself!

Shop: Etsy Shop
Like: Facebook Fan Page
Follow: Twitter

An Introduction: Etsy Shop Little Flower Soap Co.

Soap + body care products are both things that we can all relate to.  You probably don't think about how many times you use soap everyday, but if you did - you might be surprised by your calculations.  And what about lip balm or hand cream?  Part of your daily routine, right?  Then why not make those moments count by using products that are not only handmade, but made with ingredients that you can pronounce + identify!  All natural ingredients that simply smell delicious + uplift your mood.  And please don't say you use Irish Spring Soap in the shower because you're really missing out on the luxury of au naturel!  Come meet Holly, owner of Etsy shop The Little Flower Soap Co.  She divides her creative energies between her wedding floral design business Sweet Pea Floral Design and her soap business.   Holly uses an heirloom cold process soap recipe without any of the 'junk' and infuses all her creations with her love of flowers, herbs + nature.   Lavender lemongrass soap, coffee lip balm, all natural muscle rescue balm?  Oh my - which will become your favorite?  One of each, please!

Little Flower Soap Co. + Important Links:

 Like | Little Flower Soap Co. Facebook

 Follow | @LittleFlowerMI

 Read | Little Flower Soap Blog

 Shop | Etsy Store

Grapefruit and Brown Sugar: A Winning Spring Recipe

Grapefruit:
1.  Grapefruit Mineral Blush by Naked Elements
2. Breakfast Bar Soap by Blushie
3. Vintage 1970's wrap skirt by Fab Gabs
Brown Sugar:
1. Botanica Watercolor by Francesca Lancisi
2. Arrow patterned knit pillow by Knit Frekkles
3. Khaki Stripe Infinity Scarf by Seven White Rabbits

How do you find inspiration? I used to flip through magazines, tear out my favorite rooms and products and then when I had free time I would organize them into design notebooks. I say used to because those precious magazines have almost all gone digital. So what's a design junkie to do? One word: Pinterest! ( Follow our Inspiration Boards)

 I was browsing through Pinterest and saw a recipe for broiled grapefruit with brown sugar and ginger. Pinterest is one of those sites that you can easily get lost in for hours and I love using for my personal inspiration board. In this case, I took that recipe idea and translated it into a Spring color collection of soft peachy pinks and khaki brown. This sweet and sour mix really look scrumptious together and make for a fresh Spring combination.  Find these items on our Grapefruit + Brown Sugar board. 

Neon: Spring 2012 Trend

As we head into another Spring, I am always excited about the latest trends. One fun and bright new thing in the fashion world is NEON.  For some of us old enough to remember the 80's, neon in fashion is nothing new, but it is FUN!  My suggestion would be to add it to your home or fashion routine in small doses. A little bit of neon can go
a long way, but it can make a fabulous statement piece. The best part is that it comes in all the Spring colors like pink, green, blue, yellow and purple.  You could love this trend so much it might get you digging up an old pair of jellies and some fingerless gloves (think early Madonna). Go bright, go bold, but most importantly have fun with this trend.

My Neon picks:
1. Handmade pendant lamp in Lime Green from Filigree Creations 
2. Kiwi Garden Soap by Blushie
3. Messenger Bag in Apple Green from Bayan Hippo
4. Upcycled Bohemian Tunic by Broken Ghost Couture
5. Butterfly Clutch by Mama Bleu Designs
6. Colored Dots Frame by Mmim

A Fresh Start For February With Etsy

Winter White set of four lin... giardino $40.00	Snow white crocheted heart... sabahnur $5.00	Porcelain Nesting Bowls in S... SuiteOneStudio $110.00	Nuno felted white top tshirt... Baymut $99.45
Love Letters allthingswhite $5.00	Handmade Eco Friendly White ... ecofriendlybea... $60.00	Paris Photography, Everlasti... littlebrownpen $75.00	Natural Lip Gloss in Stardus... Blushie $8.00
Handmade Maple Marshmallows whimsyandspice $6.50	White Organic Bell Earrings ... lachicadelosan... $35.00	Vintage 1950s Shoes // Whit... FabGabs $56.00	bridal headband of White lac... BeSomethingNew $45.00
Vintage Anglepoise Lamp lovintagefinds $98.00	Strainer Tie bar- sterling s... mujoyas $76.00	Vintage Metallic Dress White... zwzzy $68.00	Napkin Rings Organic Bamboo ... frenchfelt $11.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.  

As February approaches, though we still haven't yet shaken the chill of winter, we long for the freshness of spring.  Our month of February essentially means purification, being named for the ancient Roman purification festival known as Februa.  Though it is still technically winter, we long for a bit of airiness in our wardrobes and lots of fresh bright white in our decor.


We love this radiant treasury by Cindy of Yellow Bug Boutique because it celebrates this transition month of February merging the frostiness of winter with a beautiful spring freshness.  Romantic lace and hearts remind us that Valentine's day is just around the corner.  Spring brides  putting the finishing touches on wedding planning can find so many exquisite and unique touches to make their day extra special. Snowy white  decor with clean lines and a touch of drama can brighten those winter darkened areas in your home.  Let us help you usher in this new month with these refreshing suggestions!

An Elite 16 Welcome: Etsy Shop Naked Elements

Welcome Cecilia! In her shop, Naked Elements, you can find  her handmade and all natural cosmetics. She uses organic ingredients + many are vegan friendly as well. Her current line contains eyeshadow, blush, primer and eyeliner.  If you aren't sure of what color you want she even offers sample sizes.  All of her products are named after  fruits + vegetables and nuts + berries.  We are happy to have her on the team!


Current Shop Favorites:
1. Natural + Organic + Vegan Primer $15
2. Coffee Vegan Mineral Eyeshadow $6
3. Blue Quandong Vegan Mineral Eyeliner $12
4. Sample- Vegan Mineral Eyeshadow $1

Recent Trends: Get Cozy on Etsy

It's Fall and although some of us may miss the warmer days of Summer, I am all for embracing the cooler days ahead.  Just remember these three trending C's for this season: Cozy + Comfort + Coffee ( or tea ).  As a team we can meet all your needs for this season with fresh roasted coffee from Alaska, wool knits from the UK and sweet smelling soap from Arizona.  So grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage and start shopping!

Etsy Fresh Style: Vol. 1 Issue One

1. Chunky Cowl $68 Woolbridge
2. Handmade and all Natural Coffee Soap $5 Sweet Pine Soaps
3. Vintage Copper Teapot $59 Little Shop of Photos
4. 1/2 lb Coffee Whole Roasted Beans $6.50 Homesteading Roasters
5. Fairisle Folk Cowl $68 Knit Frekkles
6. Cutting Board in Spalted Maple $40 Gray Works Design
7. Merveilleux 8x10 Photography Print $30 Little Brown Pen

An Elite 16 Welcome: Etsy Shop Sweet Pine Soaps

Something we all use on a daily basis?  Soap!  And if you're going to use soap, why not make it a delightful experience for your senses?  Meet Jess - the soap maker behind sweetpinesoaps.  Her all natural soaps "smell like real things...mint from your garden, a freshly cut lemon, a warm field of lavender, and, of course, a mountain pine forest."  How can you resist?   Welcome to the team Jess!


Current Shop Favorites:
1.  Choose any 5 bars  $20
2.  Unscented soap  $5
3.  Lemongrass eucalyptus soap  $5
4.  Lavender soap  $5

An Elite 16 Welcome: Etsy Shop BabylonSoapCo

Handmade + All Natural + Timeless = Babylon Soap Co.  We are so happy to have Ericka of Babylon Soap's join our team! Handmade in Michigan, Babylon developed from a soap lover that wanted a product all natural and free of additives.  All of the soap currently in the shop = exfoliating glycerin bars, but Erika plans to add lip balm and shea body butter in the future.  Current shop scents: coffee, chocolate, patchouli, green tea, witch hazel and olive just to name a few. Welcome!

Current Shop Favorites:
1. beautiful packaging - all Babylon Soap Products
2. Coffee exfoliating soap $5.50
3. Lemon exfoliating soap $5.50
4. You Pick Any Four $18.00

What's New! From the Eyes of Our Etsy Style Guide Winner!

Let's take a look at what's new and fresh from the seasoned eye of Brooke from peifferStudios.  As the winner from our last Etsy Style Guide Treasury Challenge, we already know she's a top notch curator.  Treasury collections are a great way to get a hand selected + stylized presentation of some of the best shops on Etsy - let us do the work for you.  We make shopping easy!  See something you like?  You can click directly on that item and you'll be taken directly to the Etsy shop.  How easy is that?

It's Sunday and it's a great day to play a little game.  Below you'll find 3 new collections by Brooke - each one unique + gorgeous!    Tell us... which one is your favorite?

'Chocolate Sunday' by peifferStudios

Dark Chocolate on Ginger Bro... giardino $65.00	Vintage L'Aiglon Dress W... zwzzy $56.00	Sassafras Exfoliating Glycer... BabylonSoapCo $5.50	Sparkling Camel Brown Knitte... bysweetmom $26.00
Brown Cow - 11x14 Fine Art P... sintwister $35.00	Hallway petitshop $425.00	The Pod Family Baskets 20% o... leninka $87.20	Vintage Boots Tall Mod 1970s... bytheway $65.00
Brown crochet necklace Retro GreyHeartOfSto... $18.00	Rue Montorgueil Bike, Paris ... littlebrownpen $30.00	Coffee Brown Purse - Coffee ... bellaandbean $15.00	3 Perfume Oil Samples, You P... Blushie $6.00
Vintage Brown Ceramic Teapot TheVintageParl... $23.00	Brown Leather, elasticated C... ZahirasBoudoir $125.00	Vintage 70s Tall Boots Dark ... VintageDarling $40.00	Wearable Art Bitten Swiss Ch... yuliyawimmerli... $488.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

'Blue Skies Today' by peifferStudios

Call an Optimist, She's ... kermibaby22 $15.00	Blue Ink Balloon Pill Box Mmim $4.50	ooak monoprints botanical st... 88editions $68.00	Wool blue top - shirt nuno f... Baymut $170.00
Personalized ceramic tiny h... orlydesign $15.00	Vintage 1970s Maxi Dress Hip... missruthstimeb... $28.00	Blue Mussel Pin Cushion fogandswell $20.00	Blue Feather water Drop 8x12... MarianneLoMona... $27.00
Blue Pumpkin Photo - Waitin... CarlaDyck $25.00	ring, aquamarine, sterling s... lolide $88.00	Beach Glass original Art wat... LouisestArt $75.00	The Ex Boyfriend Necklace, V... WhiteRabbit7 $28.00
Marine - Blue sheer lace shi... Minxshop $75.00	Birch Trees - Set of 4 Lette... redbirdink $10.00	Air Plant in Blue Bird Cage ... EarthSeaWarrio... $115.00	Midnight Waters Dreamcatcher... goldencatstudi... $30.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

'm.e.t.a.m.o.r.p.h.o.s.i.s' by peifferStudios

butterfly wings photograph O... AmandaRaeK $12.00	extra long arm warmers and f... lolide $68.00	DEER ANTLER PILLOW - Neutral... JillianReneDec... $74.00	Olivine Green Ring shamich $9.50
Antique Brass Necklace Layer... DarkRide $42.00	Halloween Nature Tree Bird P... AmeliaKayPhoto... $30.00	Olive green Auburn top with ... TimjanDesign $290.00	Creamy White Wild Flowers in... CarlaDyck $40.00
touch of gold, green rose he... BeSomethingNew $24.00	Indian Silk in Sage Green w... FabricsAndTrim... $3.50	organic olive leaf twigandleafbot... $6.00	Honeysuckle and Rye. Vintage... CLoVeN $38.00
Fields of Golden Lace 8x12 F... judemcconkey $30.00	Felted handbag original form... doseth $86.00	Woven spring leaves skinny s... decomp $26.00	Olive green and Ochra cape L... ileaiye $95.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.