For years I've purchased some of my favourite gifts for loved ones from Etsy sellers. I love that I can ship items directly to people, and many Etsy sellers will even gift wrap and include little gift cards for the recipients. This year is no different - I've compiled some collections of my favourite items for him, her, little ones, and others in my "Etsy Tastemaker" collection. So here you go! My 2013 Etsy Holiday Gift Guide...

See more of my gift ideas for her 

See more of my gift ideas for the Mr. in my Gift Ideas for Him
(I purchased the stamped luggage tags show above for Aubrey last year and he loved them!)

See more of my gift ideas for Babies & Kids

I have some other collections on the go that I'll showcase later, but I thought these three would get your mind working for creative ideas on gifts for those on your list.

xo Lindsay

*This post contains affiliate links. (Click on the link to read more about affiliate links on my blog) - Lindsay 

My obsession with stationery, paper and design was why I started my own company - but even after starting my own shop, and being able to create my own paper products, my obsession with collecting stationery of others didn't fade. So, because my love affair with paper runs deep, it seems fitting that for my first post in a series of many that will be dedicated to some roundups of finds on Etsy - that the first was dedicated to other stationery designers who I admire. To see the collection of my favourite paper products on Etsy for the Holidays, click on through! 

Affiliate Link Used in this post. Read more on how I use affiliate links. 

Just a quickie today to mention that Etsy invited me to create a branded page with my finds. Whooooo! I am obsessed with categorizing my finds. I'll go into some of the sections later on but I thought I'd just mention my new obsession. xo Linds

My friend Debra who blogs over at Paper Parade has reopened her Etsy shop after a a brief hiatus. She had closed her shop while managing a home reno (that she documented on her blog), producing a story for the November issue of Canadian Family (yay!!!) and being featured in Mathew Mead's Holiday book... just a few little things that have kept her occupied. ;) On a personal note - there are a few really amazing, kind, creative women in Toronto and I count Debra as one of them. From the beginning I've had the nicest business conversations with Debra - each of us sharing what does, doesn't work and product ideas. So I was so excited to see that she relaunched her store. To celebrate her re-opening of her shop I thought I'd host a little giveaway!

ENTER TO WIN: One Art Print AND a $40.00 voucher to spend in the shop. 
Contest ends October 23rd, 2013. Winner will be drawn at random and be notified via e-mail. Open to Canadian and USA residents.

How to Enter: Comment below and tell me what print you'd like to win or what you'd buy with the $40 gift voucher to her shop! There are pretty cute cards for the Holidays including a Moose card that I'm pretty in love with and some pretty cute art prints perfect for a nursery.

PS., Save 20% on Orders over $20 when you enter the promo code littlehousepromo13 *Affiliate links used in this post

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For awhile now I've been obsessing over Canadiana items - my love affair with plaids, moose, beavers and vintage blankets is quietly making an impact in my shop and, in my home. (surely you've noticed my hoarding of wool plaid blankets on my blog) I don't think I'm the only one in love with this theme. The Drake General Store has a whole section of their shop dedicated to Canadiana items and the Bay is constantly expanding their collection of what their iconic stripes are on - an obsession that has rolled into social media and hashtags like #StripeSpotting are now trendy. Maybe it's the winter weather that is approaching that sparks the desire for items that remind us of cabins and being outdoors.

I think being at my cottage this past weekend - that is far from fancy and has orange and brown shag carpeting, made me want to decorate even more with kitsch and "cabin" themed items. Anyhow, here is a roundup of some of my finds that I think make a pretty fun collection. (I'm especially loving that Wasaga Beach flag!!) How cute would that be in a bedroom?

See more of "Canadiana" finds on Etsy here. 

*Affiliate links used in this post

Persian style rugs at Ikea. Yes. Ikea.

My Mom has been searching for two carpets for her master bedroom for over a year. If anyone has tried to find the perfect rug for a home - you'll appreciate the frustration in trying to find one.  It took me three years to decide on one for our living room and even then, I ended up going custom.  Mom wasn't looking for broadloom, but instead a persian - It ties in with the rest of her decor and would give a beautiful warmth that the room was needing.

We went to Elte back in April, and although there were many gorgeous rugs- the prices were sad to say, way out of budget. Mom had already decorated her entire home, and is at a point where the bedroom she doesn't want to spend a great deal on it - but at the same time, the rug had to fit with the rest of the house and style. Rugs - especially persian rugs, are just right off the bat expensive. But I kid you not when some rugs are over ten thousand dollars. We found some online or at consignment stores but the trouble is we're pretty particular with colour - rugs can change depending on a room, lighting, and whether you're looking at it straight on, or lying down. I founds a few awesome ones on sites like Etsy* like the ones below - but it was pretty hard for Mom to commit if she couldn't return one...

For this room we stayed away from rugs that were final sale or online finds. Which kind of cuts out a lot of rugs. But I thought I'd point out the ones above because the prices are ridiculously good. I've debated purchasing a few ones that I've seen on Etsy, but we don't really have that disposable income to take chances with. (And I'm so picky with colour)

Fast forward to last week, and Kay posted a picture of a beautiful rug that looked like a Persian rug on Instagram and when I asked where she had gotten it she said Ikea. (That was the last place I expected her to say) Mom and I scooted over to Ikea to look at their rugs and found one that was pretty gorgeous. Priced at $1,000 it's not inexpensive (especially for Ikea!) but it's one of a kind, and - reasonable for the size. If you've ever searched for Persian rugs you'll know that the price actually was pretty fair. So, we wrapped it up and brought it home and Mom seemed happy enough with it. (You can see some of the Ikea pricing on their rugs on this page)

The trouble was, Mom needed a second rug to coordinate with the one from Ikea. In her bedroom you take a few steps down to a dressing room that is off her bathroom. (She is a lucky lady). So we needed two rugs that would work together as both are visible at the same time. They didn't need to match but they did need to work together. So the hunt was officially on for a second. A few days after the Ikea purchase, Mom randomly went to a little carpet store at Yonge and Lawrence and found not one, but two carpets that were contenders that could have worked with the Ikea one. However, once we got the two carpets into the bedroom, it was obvious that they were way nicer in her room than the Ikea. So my brother and I rolled up the Ikea one and put it back in the car and these two are now hers.... Sooooo jealous.

The two winning carpets from Eclectic Home (Toronto shop)

As you can see the two rugs she went for are totally different but work together. They look like they have been there all along and add a gorgeous warmth to the room. I'm a firm believer that sometimes you do have to splurge on the right pieces - I would say that about our kitchen countertop (I have yet to regret paying more for quartz after seeing red wine spills and strawberries left out - and yet no staining!) and also for us, having gone custom. Mom did the same thing - she waited and had a set budget on what she would spend. Anyhow, I thought because of the varying sources of rugs, others may enjoy this shopping experience and the few tips on where to find rugs.

No. 1 Custom Rug - See our carpet that we had made in this post
No. 2 Ikea - Check out their rug department for the oriental rugs
No. 3 Etsy - If you can stomach not being able to return something, the prices on some rugs pretty awesome
No. 4. Eclectic Home, 3275 Yonge St., 416-322-0080. Mom dealt with Mostafa Tehrani and he was very helpful!

*Affiliate Link 

I spotted these prints on Etsy a while ago and they just seem to stick in my mind.
Chocolate and pink can be a bit to sweet but the green freshens them up just enough. 
Love that they are done on old fashioned looking striped paper.

What do you think?   Find them all on Etsy at EvaJuliet

I've wanted some original art for our home for sometime, and had been eyeing a painting by Donna Walker for a few months. It was in my shopping cart, then out, in.  I loved it so. And then I decided that I would be devastated if someone else bought it so .... it became mine. :) Oscar said it looked like a waterfall - which delighted me so as it was exactly what art should do - evoke different ideas and emotions (hopefully good!) from people. It's hanging in our upstairs hall - it looks small so I'm not sure it's the right spot but until I figure out another place, it will hang right here. I'm pretty amazed at some of the art you can find on Etsy - it makes it so much easier for someone like me to browse and really consider a purchase, and invest - even if it is only a hundred dollars. But being a family on a budget, a hundred dollars is still an expense we have to consider. Anyhow, this piece just makes me smile so I'm so glad I made the jump and bought it!

Here is the Oil Painting I purchased but she has more in her shop here. 

Etsy Affiliate links used in this post.

Blue Necklace/ Amethest Necklace 

I've been eyeing a necklace for a number of months and a few weeks ago splurged on getting it. (Actually two because I couldn't decide which I loved more.) I love blues, greens and purples in my home and the same is for my jewelry - rarely do I gravitate to the reds or oranges. As fate would have it, my purchase arrived on our wedding anniversary last week and I chose to wear the blue one out for our lovely dinner. (I paired it with this dress that I picked up online at Old Navy and these shoes from Payless that are ridiculously comfortable) The necklace got so many compliments. Aubrey commented that he liked it as it was a change from the bigger jewelry that I tend to gravitate towards when going out. Anyhow, I'm really a sucker for great jewelry as I really think it changes an outfit so easily. Kind of like pillows changing a rooms vibe. Funny, I just realized I dress as I decorate my house! Ha. ;)

Ps., Although I love the purple, I find that the blue stands out the most against my skin tone.

Etsy Affiliate links used in this post.

Over the last year I've become a little obsessed with buttercup yellow. When I spotted these four bowls and plates at Value Village they went straight into my basket. I think I got the yellow bug when I spotted a yellow headboard in Margot Austin's PEI place. I've also been smitten with this bedroom design for awhile now....

image via

Since I don't have any furniture I can paint yellow so I like to find little pieces that can inject a colour I love into my home without a major investment or commitment. I would love to get something major done in yellow in a room, but alas, we have no spare room to decorate. This is when I itch to start decorating our cottage, or changing things up in our home. Anyhow, here are some fun yellow finds on Etsy.

My family loves tea, and we have all said that we think tea tastes better when served in a formal bone china tea cup. Although I do have a set of formal tea cups that match - I think that there is something delightful about having mismatched tea cups for a tea party. Some of you even said that you too look for tea cups when you go thrifting when you were letting me know what YOU thrift for. My goal is to build up my collection and one day host a tea party for some lady friends. So whenever I'm at Value Village I check to see if I can find a teacup that has a nice pattern, handle, and is bone china...

I found the little teacup above for $5.99 and added it to my basket. The handle was a nice size (so your finger fit through it comfortably) and it was bone china. So keep your eyes open for the sweet little teacups when you visit the thrift store the next time. Here are some tea sets that have caught my eye over on Etsy.... Granted, they are typically more expensive on Etsy than if you should go into a thrift store and score one yourself, but there is a pro to being able to lie in your pajamas in bed, and sift through great photos and let someone else do the dirty work. ;)

Ps., Are you someone who calls it "High Tea" or "Afternoon Tea"? This is a little pet peeve of mine. I often see magazines promote "High Tea" which actually isn't a nod to a "fancy" tea - it actually means supper. ;)

image via

As I wrote last week, I did some shopping trips to Value Village (contest winner to be announced shortly!) and wanted to show you my finds. But I wanted to show you why I picked certain items. Today is my blue and white finds. See, I have a love affair for blue and white pottery. Here are some pictures I've saved on Pinterest have fueled my love affair. Sadly, I don't come across blue & white pottery often while thrifting. But when I do, I snatch it up. When I was hunting Value Village I came across these blue & white candlestick holders and four plates..

I can't tell whether these candlesticks awesome of if they are weird. Weird? I often debate putting things back as I wander the aisles- but really, the prices at the store are always so reasonable that it's worth it to just get it and get it home to see how it looks. I'm thinking on their own they may be strange but paired with other blue & white pottery on a table, they may be beautiful. And the plates - Although they are too busy for my own daily meals, I thought for a dinner party of four, I'd take some inspiration from my pinterest board and set a table around these plates. 

On Etsy, I've been collecting blue & white pottery and table settings in my favourites for awhile. The ginger jars are always selling quickly but they are relatively expensive so I rarely bit fast enough to get one for myself. One day I'd love to host a party and set the table with blue and white plates like above.

So a little find, but worthy enough to pick up and add to my collection. :)

When Etsy asked me to curate a collection the other week, I tried to have a number of Canadian shops on my list. For me one of the joys of Etsy is that a lot of the sellers ship to Canada (I've never had one that won't) - so rarely is location an issue for shipping but I liked a challenge and happily found a number of cool Canadian vintage shops. In my hunt I came across Modern Squirrel, a Toronto shop that caught my eye first for the great photography, and second - for really cool finds. I had fallen head over heels for the sugar and creamer set (shown above) and a plaid blanket (below) from her shop and e-mailed the shop to ask if pick up was available.  The nicest person responded to my note - it turned out to be Maarit, the owner and we arranged a meetup in Leslieville the following day as I happened to be meeting Tim for coffee and had someone watching Oscar at home.

The following day at Bobette and Belle I met with Maarit who had taken the streetcar over to meet me. Since I had some time before I was meeting Tim, we sat down to have a coffee and I got the pleasure of hearing more about her and her shop. Soft spoken and radiating with a kindness that is kind of hard to explain, Maarit told me about how she has moved to Toronto from Estonia and proceeded to meet her husband here. As she said; "[I] ended up falling in love pretty much as I exited the airplane". Over coffee it became clear that she obviously has a knowledge of pieces and makes a point of picking items in the best condition. Although I could tell her collection was beautifully curated in her shop, hearing how she spoke about pieces and who made them made me appreciate her shop and her ability to "pick" even more.

Over coffee Maarit showed me the blanket I had picked and exclaimed that it looked better in person than it did in the photos. She was right - although the photos were amazing in the listing, no photograph could have captured the quality of this blanket and I knew right away why it was priced as it had been. It was even more reason to adore her and her shop - she knew quality and knew how to price a piece. The blanket was adopted immediately by Oscar and sits in my bedroom and we snuggle under it at nap time. For some reason it brings me the greatest joy being under it.

I don't typically have the chance to meet an owner of a shop, let alone have an opportunity to sit and have a cup of coffee with one - which is why a longer post - It really was a treat and gave more appreciation for the online stores and the business owners who run them.

Although you can't have my fabulous blanket, I have been adding a lot of blankets to my favourites on Etsy forever as I have a wee obsession with plaid. (I blame it on the cottage) Plus, today is the first chilly day here in Toronto so I felt this post was well timed. ;)

Ps., Maarit has started a blog!

I was pretty excited when Etsy asked me to guest curate for their e-mail this week. Wheee! I chose the theme of "Decorating the home with Etsy" as I've bought a ton of stuff for my home from sellers on the site, which you likely know if you have read my blog for awhile. You can see their e-mail here but I've also put everything into a collection for you to see should you be intrigued. ;) I think one of my favourite picks were these awesome plates from Yvonne Ellen in the UK. Wouldn't these be awesome hung in a dining room or framed a-la Sarah Richardson in a bedroom? Anyhow, back to sanding some wood tree stumps while Oscar naps. Coundown to the wedding is on!

xo Lindsay

When I was pregnant with Oscar in 2009 I spontaneously purchased a necklace (above) that quickly became a favourite piece in my jewelry collection. It looks like a gold nugget and sits flat against my chest.The necklace chain is so thin that it almost disappears against my skin making the nugget look like it is floating on my neck.

I have fond memories of buying it - When I was pregnant I was pretty bummed out a lot of the time. I was sick my entire pregnancy and gained a lot of weight. Nothing fit, and if something did fit, I just didn't feel pretty*. So when this necklace arrived I remember feeling like I had something special on. Four years later it is still one of my favourite pieces. I wear it all the time- it is discrete enough that I can wear it with a t-shirt (as I am below) or it can come off as a statement piece when paired with a more formal outfit. At $80 it was pretty expensive for such a wee piece, but it has definitely gotten a lot of mileage in my wardrobe.

Top Right  / Bottom Left / Bottom Right 

A few months ago I spotted a similar necklace on Etsy and the term they used in the description was "Druzy". I was pretty excited because my beloved necklace was available in so many different colours. After searching Etsy more for "Druzy necklaces" I came across a ton of necklaces much like my own and unfortunately for me - all at much better prices than what I had paid. Although you can search Etsy for Druzy pieces I've put a few of my favourites, including the ones above, on this page.  I have a few in my own cart, and I'm waiting for a moment to buy some more.

I think this is maybe why I love jewelry so much - A perfect piece can make you feel pretty when the nicest of clothes can't. It won't shrink in the wash, or get too small if your badonkadonk gets too big because of a baby. ;)

* Those 9 months were obviously worth it for my sweet little Oscar. 
* Here is a discussion on what the term Druzy means I was in the dark about this term.
* Unfortunately I can't recall the website that I bought my necklace from in 2009 :(
*Some write it as Druzy (as I have) and others write Drusy. Do you know which is right?

I'm obsessed with gold these days. I'm trying to become a bit more "stylish" or "current" with my accessories now that Oscar isn't pulling at my jewelry (as much) when I wear it. A trend I've noticed I have liked is gold in accessories and I've been itching to have a gold watch - I had a gift certificate burning a hole in my wallet so I decided to spend it on a new watch and settled on this new Fossil beauty.  It goes perfectly with my relatively new necklace from Joe Fresh and this bracelet I bought from Etsy that is remarkably similar to one at J.Crew that I had been eyeing. :) I love Pinterest for helping me visualize things I like.

My gold kick isn't just arm candy. I picked up this brass bad boy (above) by our cottage last week and I adore it.  PS., If you're looking for some good antique spots to visit in cottage country visit this post.  :)

Bracelet  from Top Pop Jewelry on Etsy / Necklace via Joe Fresh / Fossil Men's Watch  / Bucket, Vintage
Ps., You can find more of my jewelry obsessions here. 

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There are some changes happening over here with regards to decorating. I've grown tired of the old decor and over the last few months I've been removing certain things like pillows and art, and switching it out for new. It's the groundwork for how I designed our house - major things like couches, carpets and drapes are relatively safe and neutral. But elements like pillows and art that are easily and inexpensively interchangeable, are where I get my colour. I'm not in a financial position to redecorate my house (carpets, paint, drapes, new couch colour) whenever I feel like switching things up (which isn't that often) but this way of decorating suits my fleeting obsessions with certain colours.

I've taken away all of the pillows on the kitchen bench, and also, in our living room. So I'm now on the hunt for new pillows. Etsy is my go to place for pillows because you can often find ridiculously awesome fabrics that I couldn't afford a single yard of, in pillow form on this site. So here are some of my top picks for potential candidates for the house. I'll show more examples of changes in the house soon, I've just been delinquent in taking actual "photos".

Ps., Aurelia is having a CRAZY sale on some pillow covers. 

In a few months my younger brother is marrying the loveliest girl - Lindsay. This past weekend we had two bridal showers for the bride to be. Here are some pictures from my Mom's bridal shower. :)

I don't talk about personal style much on my blog, but those who know me, know I'm a sucker for jewelry. So I thought I'd post my newest trinket ---a gift from Aubrey - the Flower Lattice Necklace from JCrew - which has I think been discontinued but you can find similar ones on Etsy should you be interested. Although you can't see the dress, I bought this wrap dress from Banana Republic and it is soooo comfy.

I joked that I matched my wrapping to my necklace - I wrapped her gifts in classic white paper, used some of my stock of ribbon, and hot glued on some bling from this Etsy shop.

My Mom came up with the sweetest idea for the shower - and invited gusts to write some words of wisdom for the couple, and then seal them in an envelope provided. Randomly over the course of their first year of marriage Mom will mail envelopes to my brother and sister in law. Isn't that sweet!? Mom stresses she didn't come up with the idea (she found it online somewhere) but I think it's a lovely thing to do at a shower. I made up a rubber stamp, and went to Target and got blank stationery (For a ridiculously low price) and I stamped the top of each card. Easy as pie.

Mom sourced food from a lot of local sources who are ah-ma-zing. Eat My Words makes those lovely cupcakes and proceeds go to charity.

Shopping list: (1) Necklace, JCrew (Not in stock) but a similar necklace is found on Etsy (2) Broach I used for wrapping gifts (I used hot glue to attach it to the gift) (3) "Words of Wisdom" Stamp, The Penny Paper Co. (Available upon request) 

A little obsessed again, it started with this gorgeous grey cabinet and succulents and then moved to moody dark spaces with lots of contrast.  Makes me realise I want more of these colours in my home, layers of greys and greens.

A glimpse into an eclectic family home via a favourite blog of mine - The Pretty Blog.  I love the lime succulents and the subtle shades of gray.
| Photography by Yolande Marx for The Pretty Blog |
A dramatic dark bedroom full of textures I love: the rustic wood wall, black walls and ceiling and my favourite mud chandelier.  Succulents again, this one in a mini cork pot which is also a fridge magnet.  Cute idea but not sure the succulents would be happy for long.
| Bedroom source unknown |Alissa Rose om Etsy |

I love all these succulent tones and textures.  Silver, jade, quartz and gold in a wrap bracelet.
Echeveria wedding favours in turned spalted ivy pots.  I would love to take one of these home.  And a frosted glass door which mutes the colours of crockery and reminds me of sea glass.  
| Lovocracy | Tricia Newell on Etsy | House & Leisure |

A snippet of aloe peeks out of the vintage cutlery box on my kitchen counter.

| Eva of Build House Home|

Hmmm... think it might be time for things to move around a bit at my house...

I still love to shop on Etsy even though it has grown so huge that it sometimes is pretty daunting to find the cool little shops. I often browse people's favourites to find neat new items, so I always love doing posts like this. So anyhow, here are some of the newest items I've added to my favourites lately.

Top Row / Necklaces / Bowls / Vintage Pull Toy / Middle Row / Octopus Coat Rack / Mouse  / Gold Ring / Bottom Row / Lionel Ritchie Milk Container / Green Tartan Pillow

Ok - so HOW CUTE is that little mouse? And that Lionel Ritchie Milk container!? It appears to have sold since I favoured it but maybe more will be added.