The Best Christmas Gifts Ever from Etsy

Oh man, Christmas is coming and there are about a billion adorable things on the internets that pretty much everyone I know will love. Like any self respecting internet enthusiast and shopper of unique goods, I am completely addicted to Etsy. Seriously, my Christmas list this year read, "all favorited items on Etsy". For realsies. Poor Grandma. Most people I am gifting should also be prepared for some pretty incredible hand made goods from super savvy Etsy artists. These are just too good to hoard all on my own.

Let's go crazy and swoon over all these quintessential Etsy products together. From the super hand made, to the geek chic, the vintage, the odd, and the things we could literally find nowhere else but Etsy. Swoon.

1. Heart Ring $19  2. Emerald Stacking Ring $189 3. Porcelain and Leather Hanging Containers $135 4. NYC Watercolor Map $22 5. Apollo Cockpit Necktie $30 6. Body Harness $82.74 7. Triangulated Cuff Bracelet 8. Infinity Ear Pins $16.38

9. Canvas Kids Teepee $160 10. Ceramic Fox Planter $35 11. Haunted Mansion Blueprint $15 12. Katniss Cowl $145 13. Custom Leather Toiletry Case $89 14. Up's My Adventure Book $63.50 15. Cowboy Cat Hat $22 16. Geek Doodle Calendar $15

17. Breaking Bad Apron $24 18. Gold Urchin Chandelier $450+ 19. Sailor Moon Scarf $60 20. Cat Ears Ring $40 21. Elf Ear Cuff $40 22. Ballerina Body Harness $107 23. Lace Bracelet $40 24. Diamond Himmeli Pendant Light $195

Kickstarter Spotlight: The Great Darkening

Do you have any friends that you sometimes wonder at how creative they can be? Every time the hubs and I talk to a certain one of our friends, we are astounded by his creativity. For the past year and a half our friend, Bobby Triplett has been writing a fantasy novel and my sister-in-law has been editing it. Between Bobby's creativity and Melody's writing and grammar magic skills, there is no way the book will be anything less than incredible. Now, they have decided to take all of us along on the ride by making it a Kickstarter project.

The Great Darkening is the first book in the Epic of Haven trilogy. It is incredible. If you love fantasy or action or good books, please support this project. Backing this project will mean that this book will get published and the series will be well on it's way to being complete. If you are not sure about whether or not you will like the book, listen to the audiobook excerpt. Is in incredible; I was hooked after 2-minutes.

Pledges range from $1 to $3,700. I would completely recommend doing the $10 pledge or more since you will get the e-book with that. Oh how I love e-books!

DIY Wreaths

December has rolled in and so has my undeniable hankering for all things crafty. My hand is begging to hold a hot glue gun and all of my current Pinterest trollings include words like "DIY", "craft", and "Christmas". Let's get this month's worth of craft-a-paloozas started with the good ol' fashioned wreath.

About 50 million of my friends (yes, that many) are ridding the wreath DIY hype and continually posting the most incredible pictures of wreaths they have made. In my life I have made four wreaths; all of which are hanging in our home now. One of these had me sacrifice the tip of my finger in the making. It was a messy process, but I have learned. Note, aim scissors for things you want cut. It grew back and the mental scarring has healed. On to the wreath DIY's!!

Feather Wreath

If you live out in the forest or have a log cabin, please make this wreath. Something tells me this will look perfect at your house. One of the best things about this one is that the feathers can be any color your heart desires. Blue, you got it! Red, perfect! All white, it's like you are in my mind reading my thoughts. Yes, I do believe this wreath in white will be joining our Christmas decoration arsenal quite soon.

Sparkle Wreath

I love this wreath. It is simple, clean, and would look great in one of those modern homes that decorates for Christmas with pale tones and simple lines. This is also sure to alleviate that crafting bug for a bit without driving me to my wits end. The sparkles make it super fun, but if you are like my husband and hate glitter- apparently they are crazy bad for our skin and respiratory system, I am sure you can use glitter free leaves instead. Oooo, I am seeing some super trendy metallic leaves! Yes, yes, and yes.

The Pink One

Ok, yes. This description does say that the wreath is for spring, but really, I think it could be used all year long. In fact, I distinctly remember a certain Emily Henderson doing some Christmas wreaths very similar to these last year. If I was a single girl living in an adorably cliche cottage (think Kate Winslet in The Holiday), I would totally make this, hang it, then reward myself with some white wine. Aaah, dreamy.

Snowball Wreath

From spring colors to the dead of winter. This wreath is a bit reminiscent of those cotton ball crafts we did as children, but a touch more refined. I also completely love the bit of whimsy added with the single evergreen at the bottom. Yes, this wreath had me at the tree.

Nature Made

Sooo, this is not exactly "nature made", but it sure does look like it could be. This is gorgeous and huge and makes me smile with childish Christmas joy. I mean really, do you see how pretty it is?! Ahhh, the pretty-ness makes my eyes hurt! What this wreath lacks in ease and price, it makes up for in pretty.

The Simple One

If the idea of making an entire wreath or hanging something so extravagant in your home seems like crazy talk, then you may just love this wreath. 1) the shape is stellar 2) DIYing this is easier than tying shoes and 3) I am pretty sure that you could make this for free by stopping by the scrap pile at your local Christmas tree lot.

Rosemary Wreath

Don't you just love rosemary for decor? Me too! This little herb and olive branches are two of my personal favorites. A perk of the rosemary is that it will smell great and last the whole season long. I am also super thankful to The Pretty Blog for introducing me to the cutest Christmas tradition EVER.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving internets! Today we will be spending time with lots of family and friends after just getting back from a vacation to California where we got to see lots of family as well. I am super excited for some fantastic food eating today, and of course, seeing all those people that we only get to see at special times of the year.

This year I am extremely thankful for wonderful family, great friends, and this little blog. Funny how writing about fitness can make a person so happy, but somehow, it does.

While we were in California I came to two realizations 1) we must move to California and 2) my cousins are some of my closest friends. I am so very thankful to have friends and family who get my goof ball personality and go along with it. Having great relationships is something I have been working a bit harder on this year. Let's face it, relationships can be difficult and finding people who get you can be a crafty game. I am so crazy thankful for all the amazing people that have chosen to be part of my life. Especially the hubs.

Our anniversary falls right before Thanksgiving, which works out pretty great- we get two reminders of why to be thankful for each other twice in one month! Plus, travel is something we both love to do, so we make sure to get away for a few days every anniversary. Yes, a pre-holiday trip is the best  thing ever and I completely recommend it. That trip is another thing I am incredibly thankful for. It was fantastic! Hopefully, I will be able to get some of the pics from the hubs in the next few days and share them all with you. Yippee!