Handmade Goods.

I'm about as crafty as Lindsay Lohan is sober & Barack Obama is a good president (oh snap! sorry, couldn't resist ;)), so sometimes I scour etsy.com and ogle over the crafting abilities of others. I just don't have the creative bug, or patience, or ability to make something pretty with my own two hands. Except for decorating and a little bit of photography, but I don't call that "crafty." So today I thought I'd give you all some wonderful Holiday gift ideas and share with you some people who know how to get in touch with their Martha Stewart side and could give her a run for her money.

First up is my dear friend, CJ, and her shop 614 Creations. CJ is a friend from college who I absolutely adore. We met in education classes when I was a special-ed major and then went to Hawaii the same semester. She is now a 4th grade teacher (pause and clap for Ceej. 5 days a week with 25 ten year olds? No thank you!) and started making and selling jewelry last winter. Her jewelry is beautiful, high quality, and unique; she also does custom orders. Prices range from $12-200, so there really is something for everybody!

Here are some of my favorite pieces currently for sale:

Twisted Potpourri Necklace (with Swarovski Crystals and Pearls)

Caribbean Splash Earrings

Coastal Emerald Necklace

Beautiful, right? If you have some girls to buy for, check out CJ's shop and consider purchasing some one-of-a-kind jewelry!

Jenny is my cousin's best friend and absolutely darling. I recently found out that she started a new craft blog and was so excited! Jenny is a wonderful photographer (although I'm pretty sure it's just a hobby), but also amazes me with her abilities when she whips out her custom creations for parties, etc. On her blog, StrungByColor, she not only gives craft making ideas, but also sells some of her custom jewelry and hair accessories. At the baby shower for my cousin, she had on this necklace that she had made. I freakin' loved the thing and when I found out she was selling them now, I was SO excited!

Aren't these so cool?

Flowerette Necklaces

She also makes flowerette headbands, flowerette bobbies, baby barrettes, and baby headbands, like this one:

AWWW! Little Maisie making her modeling debut! Isn't she the most precious pea you've ever seen? And the headband is adorable!

Such cute items: a great way to jazz up any outfit, and make wonderful gift ideas. At the very least, you can pick up some awesome ideas for you to do on your own!

Last, but not least, is Gretchen from Chichiboulie. I'm really into gift-giving, so when I found out my cousin's were having a shower for their sister Bridget, I immediately turned to etsy to find something perfect and different for her daughter-to-be. I really wanted to find a pretty print for the nursery, but I fell in love with a name print. Unfortunately, Bridge was a stinker who decided to keep the name a secret until Maisie was born, so I had to come up with a different shower gift. But, I couldn't get the print out of my head and decided to purchase it for her as a "Welcome to the World" gift. The original print is here, but I changed a few things (added birthdate and weight and changed the color of the name).

Gretchen's shop on etsy has some adorable prints and other darling items, like ornaments, invitations, watercolors, etc. She was so wonderful to work with and didn't act annoyed at my 900 questions and requests. The finished product was matted and shipped in a plastic cover, wrapped in tissue paper, and sealed with a certificate of authenticity. It was here within 2 weeks (she's in France) and I was beyond happy with the end result. I just framed it and gave it to Maisie yesterday. She and her Mama loved it!

So there ya go, holiday gift ideas at the click of a button! See how much I love you? I even do your shopping for you ;)

*I received nothing in return for this post bragging about some pretty awesome women, I just felt they deserved the recognition.*