Support Handmade: My Favorite Etsy Shops

As a shop owner on Etsy, I've come to really appreciate the world of handmade items. It's pretty incredible what people can do; I am in awe of so many of the shops on Etsy. I read the Etsy blog for inspiration, ideas, and business strategies, and I discover new shops all the time. In the spirit of supporting small businesses and creative hard-working independent artisans, I wanted to share a few of my most recent favorites.

Julie Ann Art

https://www.etsy.com/shop/julieannart

I found this shop on one of Etsy's "Quit Your Day Job" editions. Each week or so, Etsy highlights a shop owner that has (in case you couldn't guess) quit their day job and moved into full time selling. It's pretty inspiring. I really like Julie's sense of humor, and I can definitely get behind the quirkiness of her cards. They're really simple, inexpensive, and super creative cards for every occasion. Her blog is fun too, and she always has cool giveaways going on. 

Jayma Malme (What's in a Frame)

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JaymaMalme

Jayma is actually a friend of mine from college. We both majored in Literature and Writing at Cal State San Marcos, and we found that we had a common interest in crafty things. In addition to being a great writer (check out her blog), she's also very artistically talented. She makes custom framed pieces for birthdays, nurseries, anniversaries, weddings, etc. If you're looking for a unique gift, visit her Etsy shop and discover what she can make for you.

Periwinkle Nuthatch

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PeriwinkleNuthatch

These illustrated pieces are awesome. Emily, the shop owner makes necklaces, pin cushions, and cute little clay figurines. I love finding shops that really show someone's personality in their work. The woodland creatures that she draws have the cutest faces and so much character.

I also just discovered that she has another shop for small pet beds and pet accessories. Her own guinea pigs are in each photo, and they are freaking adorable.

Woodink

https://www.etsy.com/shop/woodink

A husband and wife team, Ryan and Ashleigh run this shop, and I'm obsessed with it. Their custom engraved cutting boards make unique, awesome gifts for a wedding, anniversary, or that hard-to-buy-for person you know that loves to cook. 

Have fun checking out these shops, and I hope you find something unique for yourself or someone special. Support handmade!

My Top 3 Money-Saving Tools

Here's a little known fact about me: I love coupons. I'm not to the level (yet) of one of those Extreme Coupon people, but I fear that I may be teetering dangerously close to the very edge of the cliff. The truth is though, Frank and I just bought a house, and we suddenly have more expenses than ever. Our cars are also each ten years old. My car is basically made out of molded plastic scraps, so I'm surprised it's still even working. One of these days, we'll have to get a new car, and that expense will add to our steadily increasing pile of IOUs. So, in my coupon-obsessed defense, I need to save money where I can.

I feel an enthusiastic need to tell you about a few things I've recently discovered. If you already use any of these money-saving tricks, then congratulations! If not, you are welcome.

Target Cartwheel

Cartwheel.target.com

Find and download this free app, and get discounts on things you probably already purchase at Target. I recently used it to buy some leggings, and it gave me 15% off (also, if you have a Target Debit Card, which is completely free and doesn't require a credit check, you always get an additional 5% off your total purchase). Combine this with the Target store coupons (available to print out from the Target website), and you've saved some serious cash.

NetSpend

Netspend.com

Get $20 free just by ordering a Prepaid credit card and putting $40 on it. Frank and I like to limit our spending for going out to eat and for groceries. We put a specific amount on the card, and that's our limit for the month. It helps to keep track of your funds. Plus, a free $20 is freaking awesome. As soon as I added money to my card, it added the additional $20, as if I just played a slot machine and won an oil rig bonus (we won't discuss my Texas Tea slot machine obsession. Not here).

Personal Capital

PersonalCapital.com

If you've ever used mint.com then you'd know how to use Personal Capital. If not, I'll explain. It's a website that's free to use, and it helps you keep track of your bank account, credit card, and your spending trends. It categorizes what you spend so that you can keep a close eye on it. Oh, and just for signing up and linking your account, you get $10. It takes about a week, and then they send you an email that says "here's your $10." Maybe you don't think that's cool, but I think it's awesome. I just received mine yesterday, and I cashed it in for $10 to Target. So now I get to find a discounted offer using my Target Cartwheel app + my $10 Target card, and then I win what Frank likes to refer to as my own version of a video game.

That's all for now. I'll keep hunting, and if you find something fun, let me know!

Mama Hands

Two days ago, my little brother and sister came to stay with me and Frank for a night.  I guess I can't really say "little" anymore, because they both tower over me.  It had been a long overdue visit; we realized we had never hung out as adults without our mom around. The chain that links us.  I didn't grow up with these two siblings.  I saw them twice a year, during summer and winter break.  They are 8 and 10 years younger than me; 13 and 15 years younger than our brother Ian.  Ian and I helped watch over them when we'd visit.  They were little funny kids that we'd boss around and dress up.  We acted like a second set of parents.  I'm just now getting to know them as adults.  I finally don't feel the need to tell them what to do any more.  They are intelligent, talented, hilarious, sweet, loving people.

Genetics are a crazy thing.  I've never thought my sister Rheanna and I looked alike at all, but this time, we did.  I watched her graceful body slink into a chair.  When she'd stand, her long, slender hands hung in front of her like a beautiful, flimsy dinosaur.  As I watched her talk, move, laugh, and eat, I saw our mother.  I saw me.  Our little brother Bobby just turned 21 years old, and I still think he's 6.  He's 6'4 or so, but he's still a baby to me.  He has Ian's skinny body, and his face resembles Ian and me.

People always talk about my long fingers and boney hands.  Frank calls them "Mama Hands."  If you've seen the movie Mama, you know what he means.  Mama has long, feathery fingers, which she uses to suck the life out of people.  If I point my finger at Frank, he says, "get your Mama Hands out of here."  While we hung out with Rheanna and Bobby, we discovered that they too have Mama Hands.  We all get them from our mother, so I guess the term is even more appropriate.

Here's our Mama Hands together.

The age difference is not so noticeable any more, and it was great to spend time with my siblings, and start to understand each other.  To talk about our childhoods now that we're adults.  To bridge the gap.  I look forward to more of these get-togethers in the future.

Another New Beginning.

So. Here we are. Yep, I have started several blogs over the last few years, because I clearly have an issue with making decisions, and I also have a wide array of interests. Well, since I've joined the world of Etsy, handmade, art, DIY, and other crafty things, I've decided to join the craft/art/diy blog world too. Hi! I'm Lauren, and I make artistic jewelry using wood, paint, stamps, stain, ink, and a variety of other things. I sing and write music in a band called The Slater Sisters (currently on a temporary hiatus due to life events such as babies and house-buying). I married a musician who was also in my band. His name is Frank and he makes my days very happy. We recently bought our first house in Newbury Park, by a large mountain called Boney Mountain. I'm a bit of a city girl, so when I hear a pack of coyotes yipping nearby, or a screeching owl overhead, I run outside to witness the beauty of wildlife (often against my better judgement, since I sometimes let my indoor cats go gallivanting around as well. But I've thought better of that at nighttime, since I don't want any of them to get picked up and taken away by a large bird's crazy sharp talons). Anyway, thanks for welcoming yet another blog from me, as I grow my jewelry business slowly but surely, and share tidbits of what I learn along the way.