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

Go Earthy with Your Graduation Gifts!

With college graduations around the corner, I thought I would put together a post about graduation gifts.  With so many different angles to approach this topic on, I decided to focus on home decor gift ideas that all shared a common theme - earthy!  Why?  Well, I was remembering what it was like after I graduated from college and how grounded and yet ungrounded I felt.  So many new experiences ahead of me, so many unknowns, many adventures awaiting me.  By giving a nature inspired gift, the essence of staying "grounded" through it all is transfered.  We all know the importance of staying grounded in life - even when the storm comes whipping through, if we have strong roots then we always remain strong.  The idea is to give a gift that also doubles as some words of wisdom!

My 4 selections will get you pointed in the right direction and make for a really thoughtful and personalized graduation gift!


top left               Hive Pattern Wall Decor || Red Tile Studio
top right            Art Print Etchings on Handmade Paper || 88 Editions
bottom left        Flight Series A || The Haunted Hollow Tree
bottom right      Feather Nature Photo || Amanda Keaton Photography

Fresh Five || Mother's Day

Our main goal is to bring you the best and brightest on Etsy.  We also want to showcase the latest or "freshest" finds, so that's why we have created the Fresh Five. The Fresh Five will be five items that are new to a shop + share a common theme.  The theme this month is Mother's Day of course!  It's a little over a week away.  I think any mom would be thrilled to get any of these items I have featured. I have my eye's on the ceramic wall art. I think it would look great on a garden wall.  You still have time to find Mom that perfect gift.

Fresh Five
1. leather belt || Blue Mountain Thyme
2. circle wall art || Ce Ce Works
3. wood cut pendant || Cloth and INK
4. hand painted necklace || trees 4 the wood
5. leather tote || Leah Lerner

Garden Prep 101 || Start Planting!

If you are a gardener at heart, then this time of year is probably your favorite. I am lucky enough to live in a climate where we can actually start seeing blooms as early as the last week of February. That means we have about eight good months to get our hands dirty and tend to our gardens.  One of my favorite Spring activities is making the multiple trips to various nurseries.  I love looking for new plants to tuck into spaces, searching for the perfect organic fertilizer and just getting inspired by nature. 

Etsy has so many garden goodies it was hard to choose what I wanted to share with you. I wanted to focus on getting ready to garden, which actually takes a lot of work, but is well worth the results if you prep your beds and get all your supplies before you start digging! 

My Garden Prep 101 choices:
1. Ceramic Garden Markers || Orly Design
2. Ceramic Bird House || L & M Studio
3. Heirloom Seed Kit || Sarah Rainwater Design
4. Garden Melodies Print || Created by Storm
5. Waxed Canvas Garden Tote || Artifact Bags
6. Organic Herbal Salve || Roots Soap Co. 
7. Chalkboard Pots || One December
8. Air Plant Terrarium || Sea and Asters

Parisian Inspiration

It's finally Spring and travel season is here. I've always wanted to visit Paris in the early Spring. I've actually been lucky enough to visit in late May ( during Roland Garros), but it was actually a bit hot.  I envision a cool + crisp morning with an espresso, pain au chocolat and an unplanned day exploring the hidden parks that dot the city. Sounds pretty perfect, right?  Since we probably all can't make it there The Paris Print Shop's amazing images of the City of Light are a pretty good alternative.  

Have you entered our April giveaway? It ends April 12th. The lucky winner will receive a set of 4 prints of Paris by the Paris Print Shop.  It's hard to not be inspired by Paris, but if you need some help we asked our amazing curators to build a collection around the prints in the giveaway. 

Do you have a favorite collection?

Collection: marche aux herbes
Curator: by Cinne Worthington

1. tea towel from bonn bonn
2. stoneware spoons by karo art
3. vintage French soap from LaManche
4. paris photography by The Paris Print Shop
5. kitchen art by Lupen Grainne
6. vintage farmhouse bowl from all things white

Collection: tres chic

Curator: lebotanicals

1. paris photography by the Paris Print Shop

2. coral color block pillow by Jillian Rene Decor

3. silver dangling earrings by O Bliss Jewellery

4. vintage dress from zwzzy

5. coral clock by Design Atelier Article

6. grey triangle tote by boohoo at home

Collection: Paris living is sweet

Curator: 88 editions

1. bicycle pillow by Delinda Boutique

2. vintage French skeleton key from french felt

3. metal urn from Lilly Queen Vintage

4. passion flower pillow by giardino

5. paris photography by the Paris Print Shop

Collection: ivory and pewter

Curator: all things white

1. paris photography by the Paris Print Shop

2. pendant lamp by Filigree Creations

3. frosted forest watercolor by Created by Storm

4. silver spike pendant by Camillette 80

5. vintage industrial lamp from LoVintage Finds

6. "fresh" porcelain vessel by Lyn Swan

Gifts for ALL: Etsy Edition

Less than two weeks left before it's time to open those presents and I know some of you are still shopping. Here is my gift guide for everyone on your list, from family to friends and everyone inbetween. The good news is you can find all these goodies in one place, Etsy!

My picks for:

Mom- succulent rock trio planter by L&M Studio

Brother- vintage camera clock by Decoylab

Techie- iPad case by Yellow Bug Boutique

Newlyweds- keyholder by Pig&Fish

Sister- ring by Peiffer Studios

Dad- coasters by Red Bird Ink

Coworker- tea towel by Homesteading Roasters

Roommate- wooden key ring by Brooklyn Rehab

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Etsy Gift Guides for Mom!

With the first full week of December almost behind us, we're focusing on gift guides to help people find a handmade or vintage gift that will be cherished and not re-gifted!  The clock is a tickin' away here folks and so we wanted to know what people needed help with the most, because let's face it - there's always at least one person on your list that is a head scratcher!  Here's what we did.  We posted this on our Facebook page:

Can you relate to this question?  Sometimes you know exactly what to get someone and you sing praises to them when you come across those on your list that bring a slight pout to your lips.  Well, Sarah stepped forward with this comment, 

"My Mom - because even though she loves giving gifts, she always tells me she 'only wants something I'll use a lot.'  Otherwise she offers my gifts back to me!"  

Oh dear!  We didn't want a repeat of this situation for Sarah on the 25th, so we jumped in to help out!  We contacted some of our best gift guide curators and asked them to put together one collection each with 16 thoughtfully selected Etsy items that would be a match for Sarah's mom.   Amber & I jumped in and put together a total of 8 curated gift guides!  Each one has a theme and all are presented with style - we feel confident Sarah will find the perfect gift that her mom this year!

***

Now remember, we're all shop owners on Etsy and this puts us in a unique position to navigate within Etsy to find the best items for you.  Nic of KnitFrekkles put together this lovely gift guide for Sarah's mom and included a note: 

Mum's love to cook and the usually love to entertain, so I have chosen hostess gifts that are practical also.  Staying organized with your key holder, Bruce's spice rack, the herb drying rack and Vildans tote bag. Staying clean with Helen's apron...and of course gifts that have not practical use but are great to share, marshmallows and shortbread. 

'Mom is Always the Perfect Hostess' by KnitFrekkles

Herb Drying Rack Wooden Kitc... lessandmore $39.00	Set of two soup mugs handmad... redhotpottery $48.00	Cottage Key Holder l TWEET ... redtilestudio $46.00	Honey Lavender Shortbread Co... whimsyandspice $8.50
vintage 1920s cookbook with ... LuncheonetteLi... $8.00	Rustic Colander or Berry Bow... JustWork $60.00	potholders - modern lines pa... xxxRedStitcHxx... $20.00	Minimalist Nesting Bowls, th... karoArt $52.00
Test Tube Spice Rack w/ cork... TheDesignPalle... $32.00	Butterscotch Marshmallows, E... ZukrBoutique $4.00	Simply Tote Bag in Khaki - u... bayanhippo $38.00	brown stoneware bottle potte... vitrifiedstudi... $25.00
Casual, Simple Tote Bag, Buc... IndependentRei... $94.00	Bistro Half Apron - Bold Plu... ClothandINK $29.00	Nine Garden Markers With Wax... UtopiaHomeAndG... $8.50	Art for the kitchen, holiday... bomobob $30.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Another shop owner that we invited to participate in this spontaneous gift giving mission was Nichole of Etsy shop TheParisPrintShop.  Nichole is also a copywriter and I smiled when I saw her note for Sarah where she lists out some "fun justification for why it's useful for Sarah to use with her mom".  Her inner creative writer couldn't resist telling a story about each one of her selections for Sarah's mom - how cool is that?   Read below and follow along using the image below, you'll soon be smiling too:

A Cowl to stay warm. 
A pillow to rest on. 
An apron to stay clean. 
A board for cutting. 
A forest to get lost in. 
A necklace to clutch (breathless optional) 
A bouquet to brighten. 
A balm to heal.
A planter to grow things. 
A holder to hang. 
An earring set to adorn. 
A painting to inspire. 
A caramel (or three!) to satisfy. 
A cuff to stay cozy. 
A chart to help out. 

A throw to sink into.  

'Sarah's Mom ' by littlebrownpen

Cabled Cowl Infinity Loop Ci... faima $52.00	White and Yellow Flower PILL... JillianReneDec... $47.50	Kitchen Apron - Oatmeal STUDIOPATRO $68.00	Rustic Walnut Serving Tray F... grayworksdesig... $110.00
Porcelain Little Pine Forest... StudioByTheFor... $40.00	Personalized Initial Necklac... branchbound $25.00	craspedia cluster in white- ... floresdelsol $55.00	Lip Balm, Organic Eco Lip Ba... WinsomeGreen $4.25
Succulent Rock Trio Planters LandMstudio $150.00	Modern Candle Holder l Yello... redtilestudio $48.00	Faceted Cube Gold and Silver... HookAndMatter $45.00	Catherine Listens To The Omi... janethillstudi... $48.00
Fleur de Sel Caramel Club - ... TheCaramelJar $103.50	Crochet Boot Cuffs in Dark S... LumiStyle $39.00	Kitchen Conversions Art Prin... SweetFineDay $24.00	Luxurious PLUSH Texture Hone... DreamWeaverFab... $35.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

If you're looking for the perfect gift for your mom this holiday season, don't miss out on all 8 of our gift giving guides!  Each one is special and oh so unique - just like your mom!  And remember, if you have anyone on your list that you'd really love some help shopping for, drop in a comment here and we'll be there to help you be a gift giving super star this year!