I love Etsy!

I know I've posted about Etsy before, but I really just want to reiterate how much I love it! So often when people hear the term "handmade" they don't really picture sleek, professional pieces, but guess what- that's what is ALL OVER Etsy. You could browse that site for an entire day and still only see a fraction of the amazing pieces available. One that caught my eye was Musette where I purchased this pair of earrings:

(Photo taken from Musette's Etsy Shop)

Aren't they just darling? I checked my mail on my way to work today and found the package had been delivered. I opened it at work and inside was this:

Isn't this the most charming wrap-job you've ever seen? I didn't want to open it, but knowing what was inside, I couldn't help myself. Shannon (the designer behind the earrings and fabulously wrapped box) also included a tiny little personalized "Thank you" note and a super cool business card. It all felt so special! And that's another thing that's so great about Etsy. Perhaps because so many of the pieces are lovingly handmade, they are also lovingly packaged and shipped, or maybe that's just because Etsy sellers are super cool. It's so much nicer when you receive a package that feels like someone really put in some effort to make it nice for you, you know?

(The earrings were actually packaged in a small plasic bag inside the box, but I took them out of it for the picture.)

In yesterday's post I linked to some jewelry from Ann Taylor that was so expensive- $80 for a necklace- and I feel foolish now for doing so. Etsy is a veritable treasure trove of modestly-priced one-of-a-kind jewelry, not to mention all the other fabulous accessories, clothing and home furnishings also available. It's really awe-inspiring and I highly recommend you visit and support an Etsy shop soon!