Cafetiere Cosy in Breakfast Orange, $20
I’ve wanted a French Press cozy for a while but I didn’t know if they even existed so I went Etsy-hunting. This is the coolest find. It’s organic! It’s orange! It’s hand knit! It’s from Scotland! Can it be any more perfect? I think not.

from Etsy’s Snow Drops and Daisies

Beeswax Hanukkah Candles, $30
The mildly honey smell will make Hanukkah even sweeter.

at Etsy’s Mile End Soap and Candle Supply

New wonderful fingerless gloves from Nancy of SecondSeed. Get them now, before it’s super cold. They’re nice in the fall walking around outdoors.

$38 each

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dog Hats from Bean Town Handmade, $15 – $25

I feel better! I’m not 100%, but I’m at a level of functionality I haven’t had in a week. I’m taking the day off of blogging to piece my life back together. Do you know that if you’re sick your bills don’t magically pay themselves? Who knew?

It’s a nice day, too, and I’m going to try to get outside, like this bunny that Nancy made. He’s for sale in her Etsy shop, just in time for Easter.

I have a saying I mumble to myself in the most trying of times, “Ever onward. Ever upward.” I think I got it from church when I was little, but I’m not sure. It’s been an integral part of the fabric of my thought process for so long, I’ve forgotten.

Also, I have a “thing” for hot air balloons.

I kind of had to buy this.

Available at SeeSaw Designs, $10

My grandmother gave me a card for my birthday with a $50 tucked inside, and this charmed me. I was never excited about cash for gifts when I was in my late teens and early twenties because I felt a Responsibility To Spend It Wisely, and it kind of bummed me out. There would be something I’d want, but I knew I had car insurance due, and it never occurred to run up a line of credit (thank God). I’ve never been in debt, and I’m proud of that, but I also never spent my birthday money on something fun. I did this year, though. I ordered the yellow Bayan Hippo bag that I blogged about two days ago, and I have fifteen dollars left. I put it towards this, which is a little more expensive than $15, but it’s something I really want.

You may recall it being mentioned in my 2008 gift guide, under the section “For the Ladies to Wear”. I described it as “Hands down… my favorite item of all of gift guides.” Since then I’ve mentioned it to Rob about four times a month. I’ve also sent him the link randomly over IM in the middle of the day, and once, in video chat room with our friends, I showed everyone the link and said, “This is a really great necklace and I really like it and I hope that Rob buys it for me.” I would often pull it up on my laptop while we were side-by-side on the couch, elbow him, and say, “This is gorgeous! I want it.” We even got into an argument once, where he said, “If you want something, you shouldn’t hint at it!  You should just say it!” and I was all, “Fine! FINE! I WANT YOU TO BUY ME THIS FUCKING NECKLACE!” He didn’t.

Today, I gave up and started to buy it myself, and as I was clicking, Rob wandered down from his lair office to take a break from editing audio.

“Look!” I said, all sassy “I’m buying this for my damn self!”

He squinted at the screen. “What is it?”

“The necklace.” I figured that was all the explanation he needed sledgehammering him with hints for so long.

“Which necklace?” he asked. “Can I see?”

He clicked to the bigger picture and shrugged. “Hmm.  I’ve never seen this before.  It’s nice.”

He’s dead now.

*update* – my custom shoulder bag is being made! woo!

“Hello, lover.”

From Etsy user and mom of twin girls Bayan Hippo. She designs and hand-makes all her bags and sells them at fantastic, recession-friendly prices. ($27 – $35)

I actually could really use a shoulder bag, like the one below, more than a double strap bag that you carry on your arm like the one above. I have a double-strap one already (from the Gap) that’s nice for shopping, but I’m forever trying to hoist it onto my shoulder when I’m running around the city, and it’s annoying because it just. Doesn’t. Work. Stubbornly, I don’t want to let go of the possibility of it suddenly, magically staying put, so I keep hoisting, it keeps falling, and I wind up grumpy.

I don’t see this style in yellow, but she welcomes custom orders. She also offers purses in velvet, and has a huge variety of different fabrics and patterns.

Mom-run business FTW!

“Total eye candy.”
Bake it Pretty has a fantastic assortment of cupcake papers, vintage toppers and birthday candles, and a huge variety of sprinkles, sugars and “jimmies”.  I’m really like the photography, too. It’s professional looking and I can imagine that all of the tiny-scale photo shoots were a really fun time. It makes the store fun to browse.  The best part about this online shop, though, is the prices.  I’ve been noticing a lot of these specialty baking stores popping up around the interwebs (the designer cupcake papers are getting huge!) and decided to do some comparison shopping.  Trust me, if you want something special, buy it here.

This quirky cake topper was my favorite cake out of the bunch, so I bought it.  I’m excited to have it peddling around the top of my birthday cake!  Woo hoo!

Visit her on etsy or at bakeitpretty.com

{p.s. If you call after you’ve placed your order in a bit of a panic because you’re spacey and forgot to change your address with PayPal, so your package is going to be sent to the WRONG address, she’s REALLY nice about changing it for you. Ahem.}

Quite possibly the most awesome maternity shirt ever.

By Michael Phipps, via say YES! to Hoboken.

Buy it here.

(ps ~ No.)