{ Shopping With a Story to Tell }

“People respond much more to authentic, human-centric design now,” said Chee Pearlman, a design consultant. “As opposed to the extruded-plastic sort from China. It’s clearly a time for genuine connection to the objects in our lives.”
New York Times article, 11/25/09

One of my favorite things while procrastinating as of late has been to peruse Etsy, an online marketplace full of beautiful antiques, vintage pieces, custom-made clothing, and other hand-made things.

I love the layout of the site (you can shop via "color"-- click fuschia on the color wheel and it will pull up all things hot pink, regardless of item type).

I also find it charming that each and every piece has some element of a human touch. The site is eclectic, whimsical, and lovely.

It's like eBay in the fact that you start looking and realize there are things you need now that you never considered buying before; but without the cluttered garage-sale atmosphere. And a lot of things on Etsy are super-affordable.

Take, for example, this silver double chain necklace I purchased from a precious girl who lives in Singapore and Sidney:

It was called "Believe in the Crown of Glory," and was $28. And if the look and price wasn't enough, I was sold by the item description:

"Crown of glory and a simple reminder to Believe. Double chain necklace, you can adjust the crown to be above the silver "Believe" charm or vice versa!

When the necklace arrived, it was packaged in a charming box, with a hand-written note from the sweet seller. Her creations are beautiful and unique, and I will be back for more from her store, Shupglite

Here are some more of the lovelies I have seen on Etsy...

How fabulous is this? A jewelry holder (or serving piece for petits fours) made from antique plates and tea cups.
$85.50, WhoMadeIt

These two gorgeous prints are only a sample of what this seller has to offer. Appropriately, this store's motto is "Poetry for the Eyes," and most prints run around $20. ISPhotography

And here is the shop of one of my favorite bloggers, Eddie Ross.

His shop's description says it best: "Eddie Ross at Etsy, a unique collection of hand-picked, vintage tabletop and giftware. Every piece in the collection I selected and refurbished myself. Every piece carries with it detailed descriptions full of ideas. Every piece I would most certainly use in my own home. And every piece is $100 and under."

Eddie Ross Vintage

This barely touches on the fabulous finds on Etsy.com, but gives a little preview of why I love shopping there so much. I would love to hear about your favorite Etsy shops, so please feel free to share!