the zesty onion: Buy Handmade!

Tis the season to spend, spend and spend a little more. The gifts I remember most were those that were handmade. I had one grandma that crocheted and quilted and another that sewed and knit. Now, I crochet a little here and there, but with a busy schedule, well ~ Target is where a lot of my "thoughtful gift cards" come from!!

So, a few years ago, I stumbled across Etsy.com. It is a fantasatic sight of wonderfully, creative folks that have online shops set up with their artistic goodies. For the truly creative and funky-minded, a nice living can be made. For others, it's a great creative outlet that provides some spending money. There are subgroups of the site as well ~ the Vegan Etsy Team, Military Brats, etc. Also, I love browsing the sites where people use old items and repurpose them. When I lived in O'Fallon, Illinois, there is an annual festival called the "Strange Folk Festival" (thank you Autumn Wiggins!). It is an amazing group of eclectic folks (most of whom have Etsy shops). One lady took old ties and repurposed them into purses ~ sooo cute!

Yes, I still buy my girls Wii games, Kindles and overpriced clothes for Christmas and birthdays; however, I try to buy a few things each holiday for friends and family that are homemade. Not only do I enjoy the uniqueness of the gifts, but supporting an artist or fellow SAHM just feels right. Here are some of this year's finds: