Etsy finds -- goodbye gray!

No matter how you spell it -- gray or grey -- I think most of us are tired of the gray of winter. Thankfully, spring seems to be arriving here in my neck of the woods, so I thought a "goodbye gray" theme would work well for this week's Etsy finds. But even if we're tired of winter, we ought to remember that gray is a lovely color for fashion. I especially love contrasting it with raspberry colored items. So yummy!

First, let's look at this romantic wrap top from Lirola. I've been on a cotton jersey kick recently, so this one's a natural pick. I just adore the ruffles -- so feminine. Speaking of ruffles, the neckline on her secret garden dress is decked out with beautiful ruffles. And if gray isn't your thing, she offers all her items in a range of other fabric colors.

I liked this strap wrap chameleon shrug from malam for its deep, steel gray and for its versatility. If you click through to the listing, you can see that the model is wearing it several different ways. Very cute.

And here's another versatile top, the tattoo inspired Kiku flower wrap from namu. It can be worn as a wrap top or as an open cardigan with the longer sides hanging down.

And finally, here's a unique wrap skirt that's made out of a sweatshirt by RebeccasArtCloset. She uses felted sweaters for a lot of her applique work (like in this top), so naturally I wanted to feature her.

That's all for this week!

Etsy finds -- Anthropologie-inspired items

It's no secret that I am in love with Anthropologie -- their products, their catalog layouts, and their stores. Any time I'm within a 100-mile radius of an Anthropologie store, I'm like a moth to a flame. So it's not probably surprising that I'm electing to do an Anthropologie-inspired Etsy Finds Wednesday. The best part is that the items I'm featuring are easier on the wallet than a trip to Anthro, and they're all made by independent crafters!

This red robin embellished tee is from LizzyBrookes. I love the way she pieced together the bits of fabric and appliqued them to the top -- to me, they're reminiscent of an old Victorian crazy quilt. She has a number of darling tops in her Etsy shop, as well as some rosette bib necklaces. Is anyone else noticing how popular roses are these days? Seems like they're everywhere!


This flea market knit tunic by gardenhouseboutique is what prompted this entire post. I found her photo on Flickr in the I Love Anthropologie group. I'm a fan of deep V-necks and textural embellishment on clothing, so naturally I clicked through to her blog and Etsy shop to learn more. I discovered that she has some really cute embellished hoodies, too.

And what was I saying about roses? This Join the Navy Necklace by All Things Tinsel has beautiful blue rosettes alongside gold chain, giving it a distinct nautical look. And, it looks like it's straight off of the Anthropologie jewelry racks.

P.S. For more inspiring photos direct from the folks at Anthropologie, visit them on Flickr.

Etsy finds -- burp cloths

I've spent the last several days visiting with my beautiful new nephews. I helped out with a number of feedings and diaper changes. Even though I got peed on, thrown up on, and wailed at, I completely fell in love with them. They are absolute angels! My sister and her husband are so very blessed. I found that I could sit for hours just watching their little faces -- they have so many different expressions already. And it seemed like every day they looked a little different. I swear that the smaller twin put on a little weight in the short time I was there. It really is amazing how quickly they seem to change.

Given the week's activities, I couldn't resist picking burp cloths for this week's Etsy finds Wednesday. As someone who ended up with spit-up all down her back after a burping session, I can't stress enough how important a good burp cloth can be!

My sister had a few burp cloths from Orange Peel Baby, much like these burp cloths. They are made from super absorbent cloth diapers with a stripe of cute fabric running down the middle. These cloths have stripes of minky and Amy Butler fabrics. If you want to look good while burping babies, this is the way to do it!



But maybe you prefer silly over sophisticated. If that's the case, check out this darling sock monkey baby set from doodlesprouts. It includes three burp cloths, a lap blanket, and a little hat. Too cute! And I really like that she encourages folks to find a good use for her products after baby outgrows them.



Did I mention that sets make great shower gifts? This rocket ship set from More Cookies Please would be a great gift for a little boy. I also love the cute soft blocks that she has in her shop. The little ribbon tags are perfect for little hands to grab.



As I quickly found out this week, it's important for burp cloths to be absorbent. This cotton chenille burp cloth from DancingKat definitely fits the bill. And the brightly colored zoo animals are just darling.



Finally, any post of mine wouldn't be complete without a repurposed item. TotRags makes terry cloth burp rags out of repurposed hand towels. So clever! She also donates $1 from every sale to cancer research. How can you not love an Etsy seller who does that?

Etsy finds -- Fleur de lis

Happy Mardi Gras, y'all! Okay, so I'm a day late, but that's only because my Etsy finds posts always happen on Wednesdays. But that little technicality isn't going to stop me from bringing you a bevy of items that feature the fleur de lis.

In case you didn't know, the fleur de lis is a traditional symbol of New Orleans (which the NFL finally figured out after its recent trademark infringement witch hunt). I've rounded up some traditional and not-so traditional items for this week's Etsy roundup.

Fleur de lis T-shirts are pretty popular around New Orleans. It seems like every independent T-shirt designer has their own version. HappyFamily sells this oneon Etsy and also at Metro Three, a brick and mortar store in New Orleans.

(Speaking of T-shirt shops in New Orleans, don't miss Storyville Designs. They're not on Etsy, but they make great shirts. They're also one of the small businesses that the NFL threatened with a cease and desist letter, but don't get me started on that topic again.)



Here's something I wouldn't have initially associated with the fleur de lis, but this baby sling from Babyette looks very cool. I've heard that D-ring slings are great for moms who need to tote around babies or even toddlers. Anyone have any experience with these?



Paper wreaths made out of old books have recently surged in popularity in both the craft and design worlds. Here's a lovely fleur de lis inspired wreath, courtesy of White Serenade.



And finally, no second line parade on Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans would be complete without a parasol. New Orleans Umbrella Company offers this ivory and gold parasol to suit your second line needs.

Etsy finds -- neck warmers

It's still winter, and you know what that means -- it's still cold. I blogged about wrist warmers last week, and this week I'll be featuring neck warmers. I'm partial to these mini-scarves because they're enough to take the chill off on a brisk Florida morning (yes, it drops below freezing here!), but they're small enough to tuck in your bag if it warms up by afternoon.

Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to feature pink and red neck warmers. Keep in mind that if you're doing your own search on Etsy, you can also try searching for the term "scarflette."

This rolled rose scarflette from Cherished Vintage is right up my alley because it's made out of an upcycled felted sweater. I'm not normally a roses kind of gal, but I just love the sculptural look of these roses as they wrap around the neck.

The color on this New Orleans French berry scarf by Crochet Couture is so yummy that I could just about eat it! Plus it's cleverly designed -- you can wear it several ways.

And this vintage inspired ascot necktie by YarnCoture is sooooo classic. Can't you just see it with a belted trench coat and a cute pair of pumps? And yes, YarnCoture was also featured last week. Can I help it if she has so many cute things?

For a more modern look, try this tentacle wool knit cowl from bridget7187. I really dig the architectural shape of it, and it would easily dress up a simple knit top. I think I also like it because it reminds me of a fabulous cowl-neck sweater that my used to wear when I was a kid. I remember it being her special date-night sweater, and she always looked so pretty in it.

How darling is this felted wool owl scarflette by Rachel Herzog of TickleWorm? Of course I'm in love with it because: A) it's made out of an old sweater; and B) it has an owl on it. Sheesh. Am I that predictable? Don't miss the other cute items made from recycled sweaters that Rachel has for sale in her Etsy shop.

And finally, this "Love in Your Hands" scarf is made by Tatiana Agapcheva of TianaChe. She uses a wet felting technique to turn wool roving into amazing creations. I just love her peacock feather and strawberry fields neck warmers. Tatiana's work has been featured a number of times on Etsy's front page -- something I know I strive for!

Tune in next week for a quick how-to on making your own scarflette from -- what else -- an upcycled felted sweater!

Etsy finds -- fingerless gloves

Do you ever have those Goldilocks moments when you're too hot or too cold? No, I'm not talking about THOSE hot/cold moments! I'm talking about the peril of working in an office where you're at the mercy of an out-of-control heating and cooling system.

I've found that the secret to surviving cold days is fingerless gloves. They keep my hands warm but still leave my fingers free to type. They're also great because many of my "long-sleeved" tops are actually 3/4-sleeve tops--too many years living in Florida, I guess!

Apparently, fingerless gloves are pretty popular right now--Nordstrom, Macy's, and Urban Outfitters are offering a few different styles. But why buy mass-produced goods from a department store when you can buy handmade? Here are a few of the styles that I fell in love with on Etsy. If you're doing your own search, you can also try using the terms "wrist warmers" or "arm warmers."

These ruffled beauties are from Rumstadt. I like them because they're brown (my favorite color), they're made from a buttery fleece, and they have a thumb section that helps hold them in place and keeps your thumbs warm.



Speaking of buttery, these olive green arm warmers from JohnLoz Design are knitted out of from merino wool and silk yarn. Heavenly! And I just love the contrasting trim.



Yarncoture offers a set of wrist warmers with even more frills. Check out their Victorian knit cuffs.



For a classic look, these cable-knit fingerless gloves from RainyDaye can't be beat.



Or if you prefer a little whimsy, why not try these little owl fingerless gloves from Homelab. I'm in love with these because they remind me of the owl potholders that my Grandma used to knit.



Has all this talk of fingerless gloves made you want to make your own pair? Check back here on Monday -- I'll be posting a quick and easy technique for making no-sew fingerless gloves!

Etsy finds -- men's wallet

Before Christmas, I was on the hunt for the perfect wallet for my boyfriend. I had hoped to make one from scratch, but I was running out of time. I figured if I couldn't make one myself, the next best thing was to find a handmade wallet on Etsy. After sorting through a number of wallets that were schlock, I found RAGGEDedge Gear.

RAGGEDedge Gear is a mother and daughter team that makes wallets, bags, and other items out of sailcloth. I really liked their products because they seem both rugged and sophisticated at the same time. And the sailcloth was perfect because it evokes the feel of fiberglass and carbon fiber--two of those geeky materials that guys always like.


I ended up selecting a graphite-colored wallet for my boyfriend since I thought it would work in all settings. He loved it and immediately transferred the items from his old wallet. Yay! It seemed a wee bit stiff, but he's been carrying it for almost a month now and it's breaking in beautifully.

They also have neon orange, neon yellow, bright blue, and hot pink wallets available, if you prefer a livelier look. The wallets are available in both bifold and trifold styles and are super durable. And if they get dirty, just throw them in the dishwasher. Seriously.

RAGGEDedge Gear also makes cool padded laptop sleeves that are both waterproof and TSA-approved. I might need to send them the dimensions for my 17" PowerBook and have one custom made. They're way cooler than the sleeve I'm using now.

Etsy finds -- calendars

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly finding cool things on Etsy. As part of my New Year's resolution to blog more often, I'm going to start featuring Etsy items every Wednesday. I picked a weekday so that you'll have something fun to look at while you're scanning blogs during your lunch hour at work (which is what I like to do).

Since it's now a new year, I've been looking at calendars. I've always loved picking out new calendars. The process gives me that same fresh feeling I used to get when I would stock up on school supplies each fall.

Here's the calendar I'm getting for my office, offered by VintageRescueSquad. It's called the "Dreaming of Junking" calendar. I picked it so that I'd have a little bit of creative inspiration while I'm at my day job. My co-workers there already know how much I like junking and thrifting!

And here's the one I'm planning to get for the kitchen, offered by YeeHaw Industries. I better get on it though -- the one I originally wanted is already gone! I picked a calendar from YeeHaw Industries because, to me, their work reflects the quirky things I love about living in the Deep South. And yes, the part of Florida where I live is culturally a part of the South, unlike South Florida which is pretty much filled with transplanted Yankees.

Swing by the YeeHaw Industries Etsy shop for some of their other fabulous pieces. I love the cowgirl contortionist!