Are you ready for our shopping date?

If I haven't already bored you to death with lists and litany, then you're still with me! As the old saying goes, "All work, and no play, can make one's life extremely dull." Well, I refuse to come off as a dull, matronly authoritarian (as I'm anything but)! Today, we're going to have a bit of fun, and do some internet window shopping, on one of my favourite websites, Etsy.com!

If you're not already familiar with Etsy, it's a site created expressly for the buying and selling of handmade and vintage items, and the supplies with which to create your own projects. I've hand-picked some neat items and sellers to showcase, that I hope you will like! The practical, the artistic, the stylish, the eclectic, and the nostalgic, are all qualities of the products I'll be featuring.

After all, what good is a home, if you don't have wondrous, interesting objects to keep within, and to surround it?

Seeing as it's the end of spring, starting into summer, I'm going to begin with a few neat items to jazz up your gardens.

First of all, I just LOVE this organic birdhouse! "Handmade with jute, hemp, pine needles, moss, sticks and other forest finds." I think it's the cutest use of natural materials, EVER! The crafter claims it to be sturdy, and weatherproof. It costs $29.95, and is available here, from Bear Paw Rustics.

Here's another great birdhouse for your garden! This one is a decoupaged with images from "Ziegfield Follies" sheet music. If you love items with a vintage cabaret/pinup theme, this is for you! It's available here, from Connelly Art, and costs $49.95.

I don't know about you, but I think these "literal" garden marker stakes are an absolute hoot!!!!! Parsley, sage, and thyme, are shown here. They're made from polymer clay painted with a clear glaze, with metal stakes, and are available here, for $9.00 each, from The Rows Garden.

As everyone knows, I am a huge Wile E. Coyote ("Super Genius!") fan. I truly admire his Rube Goldberg-esque plans for trapping the Roadrunner, and his tenacity. Here is a super-cute garden 'whirl-a-gig' stake, featuring my fave cartoon character! He is made of wood, hand-painted with patio paints, and sealed with polyurethane, to keep him weatherproof. He's available here, from Dust and Clay, for $45.


I've also found a few great vintage items, for your kitchen! Check these out!

This "Hey Diddle-Diddle" (like the nursery rhyme) teapot and cups set is so completely kitschy, novel, and quaint, I could just kiss it! It is an older collector's set, made by Department 56 (famous for their Christmas village collectibles), so it's very desirable. You can find it here, from Vintage Wares, and it costs a measly $40! (if anyone would like to buy this for me, I would love you forever!)

I'm a complete sucker, for vintage enamelware. This little colander is precious! It's metal, painted with cream and forest green enamel, and bears the motto, "Out with the bad, in with the good" painted upon its base.Sure, it's a bit dinged-up, but that only adds to its shabby charm. This little beauty is available here, from Change of Plans, for a meager $8!!!! Snap this one up, it's special, and so reasonably priced!

What a great vintage aluminium canning sieve, with wooden pestle! I had one of these, years ago, that I bought from a boot sale. It became an indispensable gadget, in my kitchen! Snap this one up, kids! Kitchen ware of this age and quality is becoming more and more difficult to find! It's available here, from The Plaid Curtain, for a very-reasonable $24!

Here's another great vintage piece! I happen to LOVE Fire King glassware. It's an oval cooking-and-serving casserole dish, with lid. This baby is like new, and comes in the box, along with the original metal stand and chafing burner. It even has the original candle that came with it! It can be purchased here, from A Glimpse From the Past, for the low price of $24! Don't let this great deal pass you by!


Now, for some neat functional housewares, and decorative items.

This is an absolutely lovely Imperial Russian lavatory towel valet, from the turn of the century. It screws into the wall, next to your washbasin, and the clip holds your hand towels. Sure, it's rusty, but it's still charming, and very functional! This little gem is available here, from Imagined Place, for $35. I just love it!

What a great little Mastercrafters vintage clock! It's made to give the illusion of a mantle and fireplace, with a fire burning inside. It hails from the 1950s, and is in working order. Who wouldn't love to have this wonderful creature sitting on their side table?! It's available here, from Blyth House Vintage, for the sum of $70. Love it!

I love the modern, streamlined look of this Mid-Century Goodform aluminium chair! The vinyl upholstery is worn in a few places, but it could easily be restored. It can be purchased here, from Otter Tales, for $110.

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am all about arachnids!!!! They are my favourite living creatures, aside from felines. This is a neato original acrylic-on-canvas painting of a female Argiope bruennichi, or Wasp Spider. It's 8" x 8", signed, dated, and titled by the artist. You can purchase it here, for $40, from Beaded Frog. So awesome!

I've saved the best find, for last! I'm completely in LOVE with this devil/Krampus/Pan/satyr face ashtray!!!! Isn't he a complete hoot?!?!?! There is some interesting history behind him, too. He was found in an archaeological dig, on an old battlefield. This guy was most likely made by a bored soldier, from melted-down spent munitions. Whoever made this beguiling fellow, was a very gifted artist! I think this little devil is just the cat's a$$, don't you? He can be purchased here, from Imagined Place, for a mere pittance-- are you ready-- $75!!! What a fascinating piece of history, to be had for a song!


Thus ends our little shopping trip, down Etsy lane. I hope you've enjoyed these awesome items I have featured in my blog, as much as I do! Take care, until next time!






In my next blog entry, I'm going to show you how to build a simple, yet effective, homemade wasp and yellowjacket trap! I hate those little buggers!