Christmas Stockings aka Things I Bought From Etsy That I Love...

Last year was my first Christmas as a married person and also my first as a dog owner.  So I decided our family needed new Christmas stockings.

I wanted something personalized and unique since we'd just had boring red and green ones the past few years.  So I started perusing Etsy and found the shop, Handmade Pretties.  I fell in love with her stockings made from old sweaters.  Plus it seemed nice that she was recycling old sweaters to make something new.  I placed my order and asked about a smaller stocking for Hobie and she told me about her little paw print stocking.  I was sold.  I loved these last year and I still love them this year.  Plus they are really big.  I did notice though yesterday that both B and Hobie have stuff in their stocking and mine is still empty.  Sadzies.

This shop has already reached it's capacity for stockings this year but if you are in the market for new stocking for next year or a cute sweater skirt, you should check it out.

I also still have a stocking at my mom's house from when I was really little.  It has a picture of a little girl on it.  When my sister was born (9 years after me) my mom managed to find one really similar to the rest of our stockings so they'd all match each other.  B's great Aunt also knitted me a stocking last year since his Grandmother used to do that for everyone in the family before she died.  It was really sweet getting a stocking in the mail from someone I'd never even met.  (I did meet her this past year though.)

So what kind of stockings do you have?

Are they homemade?

Do you get new ones every year or have the same one from your childhood?

Button Earrings

Button Earrings are fun!

So after my wedding this past August, I got really in to jewelry making. Mostly earrings. I made so many that I started putting them for sale on Etsy. Sales have been a bit slow. One night over Thanksgiving break I had my sister, her friend, my brother, and my best friend all crammed in to my craft room (which was a huge mess by the way). They were all looking at my earrings and someone suddenly decided I should make earrings out of buttons. So, here they are.

These are pretty easy to make. You just glue 2 matching buttons to earring backs, which can be purchased at any craft store. I, however have been using super glue to glue the back on, which has been a little difficult. I always manage to glue a button to my finger, a button to the carpet or my fingers to each other. And super glue does not come off your fingers once it dries. At least not for a few days.

I also attempted to sell these earrings at the flea market a couple months ago. One woman came up to my table and shouted "no, you did not make earring out of buttons". I wasn't really sure how to respond so I just nervous laughed and said "yes I did." She did not buy any but one other woman did. So yay for button earrings. Also my friends and sister seem to like them. And if someone asks you why you are wearing a button in your ear you can always say "uh yeah, how do you think my ear is staying on my head." I said that once. The person looked confused. But anyways, I heart button earrings.

Oh and if you want to save yourself from gluing your fingers together, you can get some here....

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38263028