Designing The Perfect Beer.

We've never homebrewed our own beer. But we appreciate the satisfaction that must come from crafting your very own brew. Surely, it makes the end-of-the-day cold one that much more rewarding.

"Project Beer" blank card, from Architette.

A Toast-Worthy Dress.

This upcycled dress, from Rusty Cuts, will likely turn a few heads at your local Oktoberfest event--which is great, because it's probably best to be remembered by your austere fashion sense, rather than your drunken loss of motor skills.

Budweiser dress, from Rusty Cuts.

Theme Of The Week: Oktoberfest.

Hops, barley, wheat, yeast...dark, light, amber, white...stout, pilsner, ale, lager. Oktoberfest is all about honoring and celebrating beer; giving thanks to the ingredients and appreciating the craftsmanship behind brewing a great beer.

Bicycle pint glasses, from Vital.

This week we celebrate Oktoberfest and the refreshing elixir commonly referred to as beer--golden, delicious and nutritious...well, sort of.

Towel set, from Nesta Home.

So open the fridge, grab a cold one, pop the top, take a sip and enjoy the show. And by the way, make sure you crack one open for us too!

Vintage Football Finds.

Can you name the 1973 Super Bowl winning team? Neither can we. But we can bring you some awesome vintage, football-themed finds! Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Trophy, from Bellalulu.

Cake toppers, from Lovely Vintage.

Men's shirt, from October 18th.

Tumblers, from Klassic.

Kicking Off The Football Season: Vintage Shoes From Rust Belt Threads.

For football players, choosing the right cleat is important. Same goes with fashion. Choose the wrong shoe and you may end up looking like a sacked quarterback...and that ain't good!

So do yourself a favor and get some vintage shoes from one of our favorite Etsy shops, Rust Belt Threads. After all, who wants to look like a sacked quarterback?!

Navy rain boots, $22.50.

80's metallic high heels, $21.

Brown leather boots, $36.

70's mint green high heels, $12.

Turquoise Touchdowns For The Kitchen.

Whether you're making dinner or simply watching football from the kitchen, these bright finds will likely increase your cooking and/or viewing pleasure:

Vintage melmac cups, from Artful Vintage.

"Kitchen" hook board, from Bluebird Heaven.

Vintage bowl notecards, from Piink Design Studio.

Kitchen magnets, from A Second Life.

Monday Night Football Recap, The Etsy Edition.

Last night was an NFL double header...6 hours of testosterone-packed action...and we're still pumped! However, we realize that our softer side needs nurturing. So here are a few highlights from the Etsy gridiron:

Dolphins vs. Patriots:

Print, from Berkley Illustration.

Vintage white shorts, from Zwzzy.

Broncos vs. Raiders:

Vintage weathervane, from Goree Lane.

Photographic print, from Theater Clouds.

Theme Of The Week: Football.

This past weekend kicked off the NFL season. And that means every Sunday, from here on out, will now be referred to as "sit on the couch and watch football all day"...day.

Vintage Rawlings football helmet, from Open Door Studio.

In honor of this momentous occasion, we're bringing you a week filled with hard-hitting, handmade and vintage, football-inspired finds. It'll be so awesome, even the football-haters will love it!

Football scrapbook, from Bodacious Brag Books 

So sit back, huddle up and enjoy the game!

The First Step.

After sustaining a minor back injury (following a rather laughable attempt to avoid a moth flying directly towards my head), I figured it was time to work on my flexibility. So needless to say, today, I begin my stretching regimen.

Typography print, from Virginia Kraljevic.

Back To The Futura.

On the heels of the news that Nike is finally selling Marty McFly's "Back To The Future" high-tops, we found this futuristic wood letter (which, of course, utilizes the futura font) to be quite apropos:

Wood letter, from Edie's Lab.

Runway For The Written Word.

We're huge fans of "Project Runway". And last week's challenge to create an avant garde look proved difficult for the aspiring designers. Perhaps a dose of ironic typography would've done the trick:

Acrylic necklace, from Plastique.

Using Helvetica To Tell Time.

We love when a simple idea (along with a helping hand from the ever-reliable Helvetica) is executed to absolute minimalist perfection. The result is a typography-lover's dream come true:

Handmade clock, from Chromalab.

Theme Of The Week: Typography.

Written communication is more than just words on paper. Certain fonts can elicit an emotional response. Even point size can sway a reader's opinion. In short, typography dictates how your message is received.

"Lost and Found" art print, from Chris Waind.

  

While we're not typeface elitists, we definitely appreciate the artistry behind well-executed typography. More often than not, the intended message comes through loud and clear.

Silkscreened poster, from Strawberry Luna.

This week, we're bringing you our favorite typography-centric finds. Whether it's an industrial set of vintage letterpress numbers or an embroidered homage to the lesser-loved fonts, we're pretty sure you'll fall in love with the written, printed and forged word--one distinct letter at a time.

Fresh Shop: Miniature Trapdoor.

Satellite dishes, mountain men and sponges aren't your typical watercolor inspirations. But that's what we love about Miniature Trapdoor, a fresh Etsy shop out of Brooklyn, New York. Their atypical subjects will certainly have you questioning what's art and what's not. Who knew an electrical socket could be so thought-provoking?

"Green Rocks and Sponge"

"Roof Dishes"

"Mountain Man"

"Socket"

A Taste For Fresh Etsy Shops.

Etsy's "Taste Test" is an excellent way to find the perfect, personalized (...insert any noun here...). Simply pick your favorite items and let Etsy do the rest. The end result is a targeted collection of handmade and vintage goods geared to your specific tastes. Seriously, it's shopping made ridiculously easy.

We take the taste test weekly and love what we find. And better still? Many of our results are often magnificent fresh shops, like these:

Drawing, from Ruth Waters Illustrations.

Crocheted wrist warmers, from Maybe The White Dog.

Set of 3 vintage brass candlesticks, from Goree Lane.

Woven magnet, from Symbolic Interaction Studio.

Using Etsy's "Pounce" To Discover Fresh Shops.

On Monday, we mentioned Etsy's "Pounce" feature and how cool of a navigational tool it is--especially when looking for undiscovered shops (i.e. shops without a sale). Today, we did a little pouncing ourselves. Here's what we found:

Crochet number poster, from The Crochet Factory.

Illustration print, from Julia Staite.

"Opening" photograph, from Elemental Eye Photo.

"Simplify" embroidery, from Soul Seeds.

Fresh Shop: One Story Studio.

We're loving One Story Studio, a fresh Etsy shop out of Portland, Oregon. But what's not to love about beautifully-minimalist and slightly geometric art prints?

"Thirteen Kites", $20.

"The Conductor No. 1", $35.

"Story of Giovanni No. 7", $50.

"Grounding", $25.

So pay a visit to One Story Studio and get some eye-catching art for your home. But hurry...especially if you want to be the first to own one of their prints. We have a feeling this undiscovered shop won't stay undiscovered for too long!

Theme Of The Week: Fresh Etsy Shops.

So many "fresh" Etsy shops (aka, shops with fewer than 50 sales) struggle to get out of the gate. And speaking from experience, it's extremely tough being the new kid on the block. That's why it's such a great feeling when you discover a new shop that's headed in the right direction.

Watercolor drawing, from Francesca Lancisi.

But how to find all this new talent, you ask? First and foremost, you'll want to keep your eyes peeled for each of our "fresh shop" posts this week. That goes without saying, right?! But in the meantime, you may want to check out Etsy's "pounce" feature. It's a super easy way to find a slew of awesome, undiscovered shops!

More "fresh" finds all this week!

We're On Vacation!

It feels like an impossible dream, but we're finally going on vacation. No Etsy, no blogging, no social media, no cable tv...and hopefully, no stress!

We'll be back on Monday, August 29th. Until then, we'll be here:

Crater Lake National Park.

Vintage Fall-Themed Decor, From Kibster Vintage.

I just discovered Kibster Vintage yesterday. Their wonderful Etsy shop is packed with mid-century modern and Danish modern finds from the 50's through the 70's. And their minimalist photography technique really highlights the inherent vintage beauty of each piece.

There's so much awesomeness to discover, including these Fall-themed goodies:

Mikasa plate, $25.

Mid-century modern salt and pepper shakers, $12.

1970's Thermos, $12.

Midwinter mug set, $15.