This year seemed to be a lot about aromatherapy for me. I go through phases where scents feel very motivating to me. And when I can combine my aromatherapy fetish with my soap fetish, I'm extremely blissed out. Topping it off with awesome packaging and I'm likely a lifetime customer, lol! First up is my Juniper Seed Mercantile purchase:
My soap fetish was in full swing after this as evidenced by my discovery of Naiad Soap Arts! The owner, Erin, puts a ton of care into her products and I found a couple of scents that I'd been trying to hunt down for awhile. One of these is Beach House. Virtually every Etsy scent and/or soap seller offers a version of a beach scent, but (surprise! surprise!), I'm very peculiar about what I like. I want something that doesn't overwhelm me with coconut and palm trees, something that feels right in summer or winter. This is it:
You can even try out her sugar whipped soaps in smaller batches before investing in a big jar! I also recommend her key lime & grapefruit combination if you're into soap that smells so juicy, you accidentally eat it in the shower. It has sugar in it for exfoliating purposes, so it's not a complete caloric mistake, lol.
If you read past posts on what I buy, you'll see that this next seller, Chicks in Hats, is a favorite. This is the second year in a row I've purchased this calendar for my Mom. She's a complete chicken addict/collector. Julie, the shop and chicken owner, takes these pictures of her own chicks! They are beyond adorable.
Now, onto some other gifts given this year. This summer, one of my nieces turned 11! She's big into swimming and an inspiring kid to be around. Here's what she got on her special day!
from BubbleWrapped
I customized the purse with the quote: "DON'T WISH FOR IT, WORK FOR IT!" and had her first initial, A, as the scrabble tile. She absolutely went BONKERS over it.
Signage must be on my mind this year! Because I work from home in my fabulous studio, I get kind of annoyed at the number of people who solicit in our neighborhood. Every ring of the doorbell is an interruption of my creative spirit, lol! I bought this sign to help cut down on that. It's sort of working. Now, I just get folks who ring the doorbell and then explain to me that they're not actually soliciting whilst they are trying to sell me something. I think some folks need to review the definition of 'soliciting.'
Awhile back, I wrote a post about all the packaging fun we're having in my shop and forgot to include the fabulous washi tape I got from the Sewing Post! If you decide to enter this shop, you do so at your own risk! It's unbelievably addicting! Washi tape is worse than beads--addiction wise. You will start putting tape on your tape.
And finally, the gift I bought for my Dad for his birthday this year (and last year, lol!), Cherry Pie Heart Pops! They are delicious (he tells me!!).
Well folks, that's the latest look at where my money goes. I'm happy every time I get to support a handmade micro-business because I know how having a successful shop can truly change your life. If you've never shopped on Etsy, why not give it a go this year? You can read these posts for previous purchases!!
Be sure to check out all the new products we launched in 2013 HERE! And all of our personalized Christmas ornaments HERE.
Talk soon,
Lori
