Thursday's Unique Picks - Twelve Days On A Budget

Hello...is it me you are looking for? 

Back again...(about time, right?)

So here we are...t-minus 17 days till Christmas. I am hearing some cheers and a few groans from the crowd. 

I know, I am in the same boat. Excited for the holiday, but as always, feeling completely unprepared.

Two new additions to our home's vintage kitsch-mas collection that the hubby and I acquired over the last few months.

What I really need is a Christmas tune to get me into the mood. 

How about The Twelve Days of Christmas? 

Not just any version of The Twelve Days of Christmas...but a Unique Picks version with fantastic finds from etsy sellers! Let's put a modern spin on the lavish list of gifts from this 18th century tune.

The actual cost of buying all of the gifts from The Twelve Days of Christmas, in 2011 would cost a mere $101,000, according to PNC Wealth Management in this article from TIME magazine online. These finds from etsy are not only unique, they are a little more practical and are actually affordable when you compare it to the rising cost of buying fowl and dancing girls (plus tip) these days.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Partridge in a pear tree.

Show stopping 1970's partridge in a pear tree needlepoint embroidery from  drowsy swords vintage on etsy.

On the Second Day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Two Turtle Doves...

...and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the Third Day of Christmas my true love gave to me 

Ah HA! So that is what a turtle dove is. Adorable original designed cut paper note card from Starfly Creations on etsy. 

Three French Hens...

These little rubber hens are prefect for crafting and can be found in High Pie Supply's shop on etsy.

...two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Four Colly Birds...

(Whaaat? I thought it was calling birds. Nope. Colly Birds. What the heck is a Colly Bird? What the heck is a Calling bird? Exactly.) 

A Colly Bird is an old English term for a black bird and it somehow got twisted in translation to "calling bird" in the lyrics of the song according to this enlightening article from Bird Watcher's General Store.

O.k., so maybe these aren't blackbirds, but they are Victorian Calling cards that have beautiful bird illustrations, and I think that should count for something. These Antique calling cards can be found in Stuff To Charm You's etsy shop.

Three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Five Golden rings...

Who said the gold rings had to be for your fingers? This vintage gold  tone ring statement necklace is from  Antiquesnoddities on etsy.

four colly birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Six Geese -A- Laying...

I literally love this original watercolor artwork by John Tebeau on etsy

And yada, yada, yada (did she just yada The Twelve Days of Christmas verse? Yes.)

On the Seventh Day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Seven Swans -A- Swimming...

Gorgeous 1960's ice bucket decked out with gold swans from Dainty Rocker on etsy.

you carry on with the singing...your voice is better.

On the Eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Eight Maids -A- Milking

Who needs eight milk maids when you could have one terrific vintage milk maid planter  from Any Old Time's etsy shop.

where were we?

On the Ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Nine Ladies Dancing...

Well, two ladies will do. I don't really have space in my house for all nine of the dancers anyway. This original vintage photo is from Gwen's Sew Vintage on etsy.

Honestly, I can't be expected to remember all the words.

On the Tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Ten Lords -A- Leaping

Handmade leather wallet with Lads -A- Leaping, from Backerton's shop on etsy should fit the bill. 

 Stick with it, we are almost there.

On the Eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Eleven Pipers Piping

Surely this unique handmade candelabra contains at least eleven pieces of pipe. This great upcycled, industrial inspired piece is from The Artful Forger on etsy.

Strong finish kids.

On the Twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Twelve Drummers Drumming

Chippy chalkware drummer boy book ends are from The Unique Bird, my etsy shop (just a little shameless self promotion).

eleven pipers piping, ten lords -a- leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids -a- milking, seven swans -a-swimming, six geese -a-laying, five golden rings, four calling..oopsie, habit...colly birds, three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Nice! What is the grand total for all of these "Twelve Days of Christmas" inspired etsy finds...(not including shipping)? Can I get a drum roll from the twelve drummers that are drumming?

$384.70

I know, what a bargain!

Don't fret about getting all of these fabulous etsy finds twelve days before the 25th. The actual Twelve Days of Christmas don't begin until the 25th and last until January 6th. Happy holiday shopping!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Better to Give...

Hi there everyone! So happy to be back blogging...

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Holiday! We enjoyed our usual Christmas Eve/Christmas day jaunt around the great state of Ohio to celebrate with both the hubby's and my family!

 Slowly but surely things are getting back to normal here at my nest...roll on 2011!

It was awful difficult keeping my big trap shut leading up to Christmas and not spilling the beans in my blog  about all of the fabulous things that I bought for some very special folks on etsy.

So for this week's Unique Picks, I am so excited to rattle on about why it's Better to Give...Handmade and Unique finds from great etsy sellers.

 A few shout outs, if you will.

Lets start with the short list...you know for the shorter ones on my list. The kiddos.

I found this adorable hand screened tee from eco maternity on etsy, for our family's future little Pele.

Fabulous handmade pattern mixed dress from Illia Designs. I ordered this hot little number on etsy, but since then, they have moved their fantastic handmade designs to a shop on Big Cartel.

This handmade find from Toadally Cute Stuff on etsy was something to cheer about. I happen to know a little lady that fancies herself as a varsity squad cheerleader and I wanted to find her an official cheerleader skirt for her to wear to all of her big brothers sporting events. Score! I custom ordered this little skirt for the cheerleader in her favorite colors, purple and pink (of course). I was happy to hear that she promptly put the skirt on, after opening her gifts from Santa on Christmas morning.

But my etsy finds didn't stop with the kids...there were still plenty of slightly taller people that were in need of something special too.

For the Santa addict in my life. This great hand screened tea towel from oola designs on etsy. I loved this vintage looking Santa image and the added red pompom trim along the bottom.

I thought it was so cute, I even picked one up for myself...but I went with a little birdie design.

Gee, can you guess why? I mean, I wasn't going to get one with a squirrel on it. Don't you remember I have a severe case of Sciurophobia?

For a busy mom that I know, that has a "Freakin never ending To Do List". This original design from Finch & Hawk on etsy was a must have!

For a friend of mine that happens to think that Cleveland Rocks. She may not live there right now, but I am pretty sure she will always love her hometown. I was thrilled when I spotted this print of an original view finder photo from CAPow! on etsy.

Because accessories are necessities...

 Absolutely stunning midnight faceted necklace.

and these gorgeous holly berry earrings were found in That Old Blue House's etsy shop, and were perfect for some fashionable femmes.

And finally...for my main squeeze.

 For my Beary Deer boy, I found this hilarious hand screened tee from foultshirts on etsy.

The shirt was a hit, and the hubby had quite a laugh about it!

I found these great vintage PBR coasters in Riff Raff Review's etsy vintage shop. My hubby has developed a taste for this fine frosty beverage, so I thought he would love them.

I framed these great coasters so we could easily display them with his vintage beer sign collection.

Have you spotted a theme with his gifts? This great handmade ornament was upcycled from a vintage beer can and was found in Beer Can Darl's etsy shop. I featured some ornaments from BCD, in my blog a few weeks before Christmas, and the Hubby thought they were pretty cool...little did he know that I had this little stocking hiding in his Christmas Stocking waiting for him to open on Christmas morning.

And of course for my live-in handy man...I whipped up a little handmade something, with the help of another etsy seller.

I bought this great hand screened patch from Barton Artel!'s shop and used it as an applique on a pillow that I made for him.

I used a couple of old plaid flannel shirts to make this patchwork of art. Well, I think it turned out pretty nifty.

As much fun as it was finding and giving these great gifts, I have to admit that it was also pretty super to receive some things that I have had my eye on for quite a while.

That hubby was quite sly. He really WAS listening.

This handmade wood bangle from Valle.Girl.Designs etsy shop, has a little saying that I love, burned into it. "We are not given more than we can handle". This great gift was worn by me all Christmas day.

I am what I am, a "crafty ass bitch", and I am now happy to have this great original illustrated print by Sweet Perversion Designs on etsy, to let everyone else know too.

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday and if Santa didn't bring you everything you wanted you may want to find yourself a little something special from one of these great etsy sellers!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Comforts and Joys

Tis the season for Comforts and Joys!

Yes, I am in full blown Christmas mode here at the nest…and that doesn’t mean everything is done and lovely…it means that everything is in utter chaos.

From one of my all time favorite Christmas movies, this appropriate sentiment from Clark, has been captured in this festive handmade embroidered ornament from Water Penny's etsy shop.

Oh the best laid plans of mice and men…totally go out the window in the weeks before Christmas. For all of you intellectuals, I know I totally just misquoted that line, but I like to repurpose things…even famous lines from classic poems...and have a heart, it’s Christmas.

The kind of mouse you don't mind having in your house. This mouse just plans on looking cute. This wee little vintage Christmas mouse can be found in Posh Totty Designz etsy shop.

Even with all of the headaches that the Holiday season brings, (and I totally admit to bringing the headaches upon myself) there are these little instances of comforts and joys. Everyone has their own definitions of comfort and joy…for me it’s a lot of little things that make the season bright.

This brings me to my Unique Picks this week, from great etsy sellers. This week’s finds are cozy reminders of the little things that I enjoy this time of year and maybe you do too.

When it looks like this outside…

 The view outside my kitchen window today 12/16/10.

All I want to do is enjoy the comforts of my home.

This lovely handmade pillow cover from Shann Spishak Art Studio's etsy shop pretty much sums it up.

Build a little fire…

How cozy is this little fireside scene captured in this original digital illustration print from Celeste Welch Designs?

No fireplace? No problem...You won't get burned with this vintage electric ambiance. Found in Antoinette's Whims etsy shop. This vintage find not only puts out a warm red glow through its high-definition plastic window, but also makes life like crackling fire sounds.

Get under a wool blanket ...

This vibrant vintage wool plaid blanket can be found in High Point Farm 2010's etsy shop.

This is upcycled baby hat was made using a wool blanket and vintage fabric. This great find is from kinchi's etsy shop. See, just because it's a hat, doesn't mean you aren't getting under a wool blanket!

Maybe enjoy a hot beverage

Two of my favorites...mini sized and hot cocoa. These adorable little printed winter greeting cards were created from original illustrations and can be found in Merry Blues Art's etsy shop.

Keeping your cocoa cozier. This knitted mug cozy is from mod dessert's etsy shop.

Cuddle = Comfort

When I was just a little girly, I was much happier cuddling this stuffed Santa than my new little sis. My mom can have her...

I have always been a big fan of cuddling plush toys...so maybe I am too old to be sitting on the couch with one now...but I still like to give them a hug every now and then...

(anyway, when you cuddle with a stuffed animal, they don't complain that you are making their arm go to sleep)

Everything about this cheeky bear doll by cozyblue on etsy is comforting. It's like a stuffed animal and pillow all in one!

But let’s be honest folks…we have a schedule to keep…it’s almost Christmas. Lounging around the house is not really an option, so enjoy these little comforts any chance you get!

The little Joys...

being able to cross something off my "to do" list...

 Maybe a dream...but wouldn't it be so nice! These adorable recycled paper notepads are from This is It! Creations etsy shop.

I am overjoyed, when I have finished writing my Christmas cards,

This great Holiday greeting card from goodgosh's etsy shop, happens to be one of my current favorite cards and may have found its way into the mailbox of someone very special on my Christmas card list.

When all the cards are done, I can place the stickers on the back of the envelope. I love stickers (or maybe I just love finishing the cards) It's the little things...and no, I'm not five.

These plaid envelope seals from Pinkie's Palace would be the "frosting on the cookie" for your Christmas cards.

Decorating my Christmas Tree

You know me, such a sentimental fool. I get so much joy out of hanging each one of my Christmas ornaments. Most of my ornaments have some sort of sentimental meaning. They are usually purchased or given to me as a reminder of something I did, somewhere I visited or something I love. We have quite an eclectic mix of ornaments, but some of my favorites are the handmade ones... especially this one.

Handmade by one of my favorite artists. The hubby. He made this for his Mom when he was just a kiddo and she passed it along to me...

These little handmade ornaments from Beer Can Darl's etsy shop are upcycled from vintage beer cans and would be the perfect gift for any beer connoisseur or breweriana collector.

Most of all, my favorite little holiday joy is finding just the right gift for someone on etsy...or anywhere for that matter. It’s always a bonus though,when the gift is delivered to your front door and handmade with care!

I would divulge some of this year’s holiday etsy purchases, but I have to refrain for the time being, on the outside chance that one of the recipients decides to read my blog.

No fair peeking at my purchases Snoopy Mc Snooperson.

This 1907-1908 postcard from The Old Barn Door's etsy shop, shows that the good little children (the non- peekers) get the good loot!

I Ho Ho Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and find lots amazing gifts picked uniquely for you, under your Christmas tree from ... Santa of course.

I love how comforting and joyful this original photograph print of a vintage Santa is, from CAPow! on etsy .

I will be back in a few weeks with some more unique picking, but next week I really need to buckle down. Santa needs some assistance wrapping gifts and Mrs. Claus can't make all the Christmas cookies herself.