Chrysanthemum Ring & Antiqued Bronze Filigree Winterberry Leaf Earrings

Occasionally I venture outside of my standard jewelry and look for something completely different.  I recently found an amazing artist, on Etsy,  making some really sweet jewelry that will surely grab your eye! Her shop name is "Vintage Inspired Jewelry."  The Chrysanthemum Ring  is such a great piece, I looked through my closet for hours trying to find pieces I could wear it with.  Check it out...pretty cool, right?  These are so reasonably priced...just under $20!  She offers a large variety of colors to choose from, so you're sure to find one you'll love.

The other purchase I made from "Vintage Inspired Jewelry" were these great pair of earrings!   They are such a fun change from the short little earrings I usually wear...but they are super lightweight!  You'll find some great gift ideas inside this shop...have fun!

Jennifer Dennis Potter photography

I LOVE photography...it's my passion.  My basement storage space holds more bins of photos than anything else and yet, I'm always on the lookout for more amazing pieces of art to give as gifts....or keep for myself.  I am soooo excited to share with all of you, a wonderful shop on Etsy...Jennifer Dennis Potter photography, based out of Buffalo, NY.  Jennifer has created some amazing images that I'm sure you will LOVE too!  As you'll notice in her shop, she does custom pieces as well...

Her customer service and attention to detail is out of this world!  She works with each customer to create a beautiful custom photograph to hang in your child's room or on a wall of photos.  Here are a few of my other favorites that Jennifer has created!

So when you're racking your brain trying to decide on what gifts to buy this holiday season...why not go with something the box stores can't offer...something that will make the recipient really say "WOW!"

Mom N Mia Quilts

Maria, the owner of Mom N Mia Quilts makes really cute, reasonably priced, unique, fun gifts for the babies, kids, and parents in your life.  One of my favorites is the guitar bib shown above.  Don't get me wrong, the bibs with teddy bears, bunnies, and foofy sayings are cute too...but sometimes it's fun to change it up a bit and Maria's bibs do just that!  They are all handmade...which makes me feel good about supporting another small business and friends who received these bibs as gifts say they LOVE them and that they wash really well too! 
In addition to these rockin' bibs, she also makes quilts, seat belt strap covers, burp cloths, handbags, onesies, kids art buckets, and sachets.  If you are looking for a fun gift for a baby shower or birthday...you will not want to skip this shop!  Check out some of her other goodies...

Tall Grass Ukuleles

My husband is very musically talented.  He plays drums and guitar and has that amazing ability to hear a song, and play it right back to you on either instrument.  Do you know someone like him?  Do you need to buy a gift for someone with exceptional musical abilities, or someone who is hoping to master a string instrument?  I've found a great company, with high quality eco friendly bamboo ukuleles.  Traditional "ukes" (I just learned that term from Josh and Kim...the owners of Tall Grass Ukuleles) are made from koa wood.  This Hawaiian wood is gorgeous, but is in short supply.  A uke made from koa wood could run you thousands of dollars...one made from bamboo...from Tall Grass Ukuleles starts at $148 and looks really cool!  If you're holiday shopping for a music lover...I highly suggest looking into these beautiful instruments!

Remodelaholic

Our garage houses at least 7 pieces of furniture that need a facelift.  We have a few chairs, a hutch, a stool, and a couple of shelves....all were hand me downs...which I'm grateful for, however, I have no idea how to rehab these pieces.  My husband would love to have the space back for his stuff, and so I've started searching through some blogs for ideas.  I figured there has to be a blog out there for this too!  I was quite excited to find Remodelaholic, featuring a slew of ways to "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose, and Remodel."  There really is something for everyone on this blog...check it out!

Lyd's Glass and More...

If you haven't figured it out already...I really love handmade gifts.  I have a few people on my list that are kind of hard to buy for...they either have everything or want nothing...or both!  "Lyd's Glass and More" has gifts for soooo many occasions!  The bride and groom champagne flutes are beautifully painted with love and can be customized for the happy couple.  Need a Halloween candy dish...how about a huge martini glass version?  Bachelorette party margarita glasses, birthday party martini glasses, Polish pride beer steins...Lydia has something for everyone!  She also does some amazing work on pottery and wall murals that you would love.

Endless Sumners Art

I found Kate Sumners on Etsy. I was looking for a gift, as usual, and desperately wanted something that was out of this world cool!  Kate is an exceptionally talented artist.  She made a beautiful pet portrait for my brother and I had a hard time giving it away because I really wanted to hang it in my own home.  So instead, I ordered one of our dog for us...this is Gustav...

If you know someone who is sometimes hard to buy for and  loves pets...I really think you should sneak a few photos and send them over to Kate!  You will be amazed with her work!  The gift giving holidays are right around the corner...dont' wait! You can find her Etsy shop here and you can check out her full website here.





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Zing Creative

I just had this AWESOME logo created for me by Zing Creative!  What do you think?  Now, I am in Chicago, and she is in Kansas City, Missouri...and she was able to create a logo that truly represents me and my company.  Lisa took the time to get to know me and what I was looking for in a logo and then she went to work creating this amazing logo!  Her prices are extremely reasonable for the super high quality of work, and she is so fun and inspiring to talk to!  Have you started your own company, or plan to in the future?  Check out Zing Creative and let Lisa create a masterpiece for you!

Randy Schaffer Glass

Randy Schaffer Glass brings Hawaii into your home...and who wouldn't want that?!  Randy's pieces of art, created in his Maui studio, are beautiful, one of a kind pieces created with love and inspired by the beautiful environment around him.  He is open to creating custom pieces...and is committed to working with clients imaginations, allowing their input to help design the piece.  Having a custom made piece created for a friend, with their favorite colors, is an amazing gift option!  Check out his website...and don't be surprised if you find a few you like for yourself!

Kitchen Monki

We all need to eat, right? So I wish I could say I frequently create new recipes from scratch like my mom does...but I can't...so instead, I head over to Kitchen Monki and look for recipes organized by categories such as "Season", "Preperation", "Mood", and "Time to Cook."  Under the "Mood" category, I decided to check out "sophisticated" and happened upon chocolate dipped figs with almonds...sounds amazing I agree, but probably not sufficient for dinner...so I kept looking and came across "Honey Soy Broiled Salmon"... WOW...very sophisticated and sooo delicious!  Dinner in under 30 minutes is always ideal!  Now, maybe it's time for those chocolate dipped figs wtih almonds!
Kitchen Monki also offers a Grocery List Manager that allows families to plan meals, create grocery lists, and organize those lists online and on the go.  I can create a grocery list and let my husband know we need some more ingredients for dinner...all he has to do is access Kitchen Monki on his phone and pull up the grocery list I've already created for us.  It's a great system for any family, big or small!
Unsure what to make for dinner tonight?  Or maybe you have a party this weekend, and want to bring a dish you've never brought before...check out Kitchen Monki...you're sure to find great recipes!  You can even link your account via Facebook and snag some meal ideas from friends...who knows how many of them are already on Kitchen Monki!

Bomber Betty Custom Cosmetics

Makeup should be fun, right? Well, I was in a rut...using the same colors...forever...and I needed help.  I got in touch with Jessica at Bomber Betty and she brought the fun back into my makeup bag.  She took the time to create some custom colors for me and then helped me fine tune my application.  I feel much more confident in my makeup and am once again having fun with all of my options!
Jessica has been an extremely successful makeup artist for over 12 years...check out some press here!  AND...
I LOVE "Before/After" shots...check out Ashley's transformation here.  If you love makeup...or if you are in a rut and wish to love makeup again...check out Jessica's skills!

Soul Sisters Candle Co.

These stellar candles can be found on Etsy...by two close friends who created "Soul Sisters Candle Co."  The soy candles that they offer are soooo refreshing and you have to love the jars that they come in!  Their customer service is excellent and their stylish packaging means you don't have to wrap these candles to give as gifts!  A newer feature they offer...which I believe I'll be checking out this week, is the sample box for under $5!  You get to pick 6 scents you would like to try out and you'll quickly receive 6 tealight candles all wrapped up in a cute little box. Now you'll know which ones you'll want to order as full size candles!  There is no shortage to the number of scents they have up for sale in their online Etsy shop...but my favorite is the spruce!  Go ahead...check them out!

Smashed Peas and Carrots

I love this blog!  Maggie is a wicked talented momma of 3 who squeezes more into 1 day than most of us do in a week!  I could get lost in her blog...recipes, craft projects, clothes, gifts, handmade toys, and more and more and more!  She's got the holidays covered with the Rice Krispie Shamrock, and Eggnog bread! 

Have YOU ever heard of LIQUID SIDEWALK CHALK?  I certainly haven't. 

My favorite gift to give ( I bought 4) is Maggie's Fold n go Pony Farm.  It is such a great little travel toy that you can bring along for the kids to play with...and folds up nice and neat too!

Her Etsy Shop is filled with fun stuff!  "Smashed Peas and Carrots" has some seriously good stuff...so make yourself some tea(or a latte), cover up with a cozy blanket, laptop in your lap...and start reading!  You will learn all sorts of stuff...about all sorts of things! 

"Cooking with Italian Grandmothers:Recipes from Tuscany to Sicily" by Jessica Theroux

So my new favorite thing must be "Cooking with Italian Grandmothers:Recipes from Tuscany to Sicily" by Jessica Theroux

You really should go check it out right now...right HERE!

A beautiful book that anyone, with an appreciation for family and food, would LOVE.  Jessica is a true photographer and talented chef and truly captured the passion that accompanies a great homemade meal. The descriptive stories will speak to you in a way only family can...have anyone on your Christmas list that is hard to buy for?  This could be the perfect gift!