Etsy...An awesome place to shop

 I feel like I have been telling everyone about Etsy lately. Etsy is an online marketplace that offers handmade, vintage and upcycled goods from a host of sellers. Each seller has their own "shop", and one buys from each shop separately.

The beauty of Etsy is that you can find so many cool and unique things. Need a gift for a scientist? type in DNA earrings. How about something for your favorite tandem bike rider?

One of my favorite stores is called Well of Creations, which is run by Robin Norgren . I found this store due to a new policy put in place at my work. A

no visible tattoo policy. I hate this policy and find it pointless, but I would be very hungry with out my job. So I decided it was time to work on compliance.

I wanted to find a cuff to cover my tattoo, but I also wanted to find something that looked as much like my tattoo as possible to cover my tattoo with. I found some really neat cuffs on Robin's site. And after looking at what she had, I realized that it would not be too hard to make one with a dove on it. So I convo-ed her (the etsy way of referring to system messages) and asked if she could make something custom for me. She responded immediately and within 24 hours we had our plan in place. She made me 4 beautiful cuffs to cover my tattoo.

Robin is a funky, hippy, retro kind of chic. She is all about exploring and expanding your creativity, no matter what your skill level. She has a website where you can read all about her philisophy. She even has a curriculum for teaching others how to tap into their own personal well of creations. Check out her bio to see what inspired her to do what she does. Robin is some one who clearly wants to be verdant, and she definitely inspires me. She quotes this verse, which I love, on her page.

 "But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life"  John 4:14

We can't really be verdant unless we have a water source flowing in us. It is the living water of Christ keeps me verdant.

But I digress.

I have found a couple more great Etsy stores that I want to mention, but I have hardly scratched the surface of all the beautiful stores there are.

Local Wisdom Cards is an awesome shop to find unique and beautiful cards. I could spend hours browsing their selection and reading the cards. I first bought one of their cards when shopping in a funky shop in Louisville, KY. I went to their Etsy store to get more. If you want the perfect card for for someone going through a rough time, but the normal "Get Well" or "Sympathy" cards won't do, click here. Another card I absolutely love is here.

Caustic Threads is another store I have purchased from. The T-shirt I got was awesome (they run small, so be careful when ordering). It was the perfect gift for my sister who was completing a play about Robots.

There is so much to explore, so go on there, have some fun and find a beautiful and unique gift for anyone on your list. You can feel good because you are supporting local artists and local businesses without having to "be there". AND many of the items are re-used and upcycled, so you are helping with the reduce, reuse, recylce cause.