I'm smitten with Esty. I've known of Esty for years but I've very recently been reintroduced to the site. Esty is a website that provides a way for the general public to sell and buy handmade items. They also sell a lot of vintage items and craft supplies. On Wikipedia, it's quoted as having been compared to "a crafty cross between Amazon and eBay", and to "your grandma's basement." "Handmade items cover a wide range including art, photography, clothing, jewelry, edibles, bath & beauty products, and toys. The site follows in the tradition of open craft fairs, giving sellers personal storefronts where they list their goods for a fee."

There are a lot of things I love about Esty, all of which revolve around the grand variety of things available. Search for nearly anything on Esty, like "woodland", "wedding", "robot", or "ninja" and you'll find tons of things that get filed into the category of things that are exactly what you were looking for but you would have never dreamed up yourself. I guess I knew there were people this creative out there in the big world wide web, but it's genius that they're all oh-so-conveniently on one site. It's the perfect place to find gifts for all those people you know that are hard to find gifts for. There's a lot of alternative stuff. From "Steampunk" to "Emo" or "Vintage" to "Gothic Lolita". There's just so much stuff.

Of course, since there is so much of it, some of it's serious junk. And by junk I mean "junk" - junk as I would see it. Not necessarily as you'd view it. As I've heard someone say of YouTube, what makes it so cool is that there's something for everybody. On YouTube the videos I've "Favorited" of trigonometry tutorials and cute piglets may not tickle your fancy. And your favorites may not tickle mine. And that's okay. Because the more variety, the greater the odds I - or you, or anyone - will stumble onto what we want.

Some examples of my Esty favorites:

J e w e l e r y -

One of my favorite shops selling jewelry on Esty is GetPersonalArt. Other than simply being gorgeous, the items are highly customizable.

Seller description of the cuff to the right: "Have your pet (or whatever you choose) at your side always:) You can have any photo that you email to me, plus a name or dates, and paws or a little something for the other side;) All I need is your size (in the note to seller, or convo), and your photo and details:) I could add an extra simple color or a few Swarovski Crystals too, just let me know what colors you like! I have almost any font you could ever want! (It almost looks like a sparkly tattoo)."

The artists adorable cat, Muffin, models on the "Your Photo of Choice,

Children, Family,Friends, Home, Car, Boa t, School, Church, Business or Logo Laser Cuff"

Complete customization for only $45

Bride Cuff $45 Golden Handcuff Bangles $60

Many of the goodies available at GetPersonalArt

W a l l D e c a l s -
Esty has tons of decals and, because it's Esty and it's just the way Esty is, an immense variety. I honestly cannot think of a quicker or less expensive way to do what decals do for home decor. I'm especially smitten with decals on the walls of a child's room or a kitchen. I have two favorite sellers.
First is byrdiegraphics:

Shabby Floral Flock Damask$38.00

French Frame Collage$48

Single Bullseye $7

Custom Alphabet Block(per block)$5.00

My next favorite decal seller: singlestonestudios. They've recently gotten some major ink on "the current edition of Better Homes and Gardens 100 Decorating Ideas Under $100!!! We're on the COVER too!" - They're just that great. My picks:

Baroque Style Frame $45

Woodland Nursery $168

Crystal Chandelier $28

Nautical Compass $28

Owl on Branch $18

Rockstar Rock On $22.95

B a t h & B o d y -

I like Esty's wide variety of bath and body products. Many of them are made for sensitive skin, which I have, and many of them are vegan. Here are some of my favorites:

By savor: