Velvet Verbosity

I am busy folks. Busy gathering together a list and images of Velvet Verbosity’s best gift ideas for the holiday 2007 season. Yes, I am one of THOSE PEOPLE. The kind of person who gets impossibly cheery at the very thought of wrapping up a special gift for someone. The kind of person who hums holiday carols before the turkey has even become a leftover. One of those people who will smile at you just because it’s the holiday season. A lover of trimmings, and wrappings, and twinkling lights, and traditions, and swelling hearts FULL OF THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT!!

(deep breath)

I am not, however, a lover of holiday stress or the fake smiles that accompany unwanted gifts. Therefore, Velvet Verbosity is compelled to share her ultra-hip, fabulous, won’t break the bank, holiday shopping list.

Wait for it. Wait for it.

This week’s Etsy treasure comes from the Lady L Lovelies Victorian Etsy shop. At first glance you might think this is a breach from my normal style, and you would be right. It’s true, my name, Velvet Verbosity, might hint at a slant toward Victorian sensibilities and if this is at all true, I owe that to my mother. In fact, I can’t put a disclaimer at the end of this week’s Etsy pick because the truth is, these Victorian style lavender sachets are made by (drumroll…..) Velvet Verbosity’s very own Mother! (Hi Mom!)

I owe her a review after I cajoled her into putting herself out there on Etsy. She’s been selling on Ebay for years, and these shabby chic handmade sachets (otherwise known as the “strawberry sachets”) have been the most popular item. Each sachet is unique and made with exquisite care. You need look no further for an old world charmed gift for your dear, sweet (fill in the blank) who prefers handmade roses to sleek lines, the sweet scents of real lavender to new age Patchouli, and the richness of Victorian details over sparse modern design.

Start subliminal message…”Christmas is just around the corner…doesn’t this just smack of a Victorian Christmas? And doesn’t that make you feel nostalgic for simpler times? For warm pies, and Christmas Carols, and fur muffs, and red noses, and horse drawn sleighs complete with sleigh bells jingling through the silence of a starlit snowy night?”…End subliminal message.

Currently, there is only this one-of-a-kind Lady L sachet creation in stock.

I can’t tell you what the creative force who made me will come up with next, but I assure you, it will be beautiful. Here’s a sampling of previous handmade lavendar sachets that sold like hotcakes on Ebay.

One of my personal favorites.

I ask you, “Does it get any more Victorian?”

I’ve heard tell that the creative Lady L does not take custom orders, but she has been known to tuck away requests for colors in the back of her mind for the next time she’s feeling all “purple”, or “mauve”, or “rose”, or whatever.

I have but one favor to ask. If you visit the Lady L Lovelies shop, please drop my Mom a line and tell her Velvet Verbosity sent you. It took some convincing to get her to venture out of Ebay and into Etsy (and the new world of social networking). I want to let her know that this whole social networking thing? It’s kind of fun. And it works.

Ah. November in New England. Bare trees against the backdrop of a low slate sky.

Ick! I hate November. There are only three things that redeem November in New England. It is the month I gave birth to a pretty cool human being, it is the month of Thanksgiving (i.e. homemade fatty comfort foods), and this Birch Tree Tote by feeldesign that somehow translates a bare tree against a gray sky with elegance, grace and style while leaving out the cold, bitter winds and depressing lack of sunshine. Who knew November could be so hip? I think I’ll just crawl inside this custom made tote and hibernate until Spring.

** Disclaimer - All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. No one has approached me asking me to review their product. Most importantly, I don’t always BUY these items (what, you think this blog is making me any MONEY?) This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web. No animals were harmed in the writing of this review, but an apple pie was relentlessly plucked apart and eaten.

Dude. I don’t know about you, but I find this bicycle toilet decal to be WAY better than the usual fluffy, flowery, gaudy or just plain stooopid toilet adornments that have been the status quo for FAR too long.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that toilet art is dead. No. No. Far from it. Some people are quite active in their County Fair’s toilet decoration contest.

Even the tank itself was patented for it’s aesthetically pleasing encasing of the vulgar inner workings.

But, as you’ve come to rely on Velvet Verbosity to bring you only the best and ultra-hip of Etsy (oh, you know you have!), I have delivered. In the words of Vital (the artists behind the decal) (no, NOT in the tank pictured here fool):

Through critical thought, art and design are integrated into all aspects of life. These values are layered into an aesthetic that is at once urban and rural.

Long Live Toilet Graphics!

** Disclaimer - All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. No one has approached me asking me to review their product. Most importantly, I don’t always BUY these items (what, you think this blog is making me any MONEY?) This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web. No animals were harmed in the writing of this review, but a whole bunch of tea leaves were boiled and consumed.

Happy Halloween!

** Disclaimer - All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. No one has approached me asking me to review their product. Most importantly, I don’t always BUY these items (what, you think this blog is making me any MONEY?) This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web.

I am in love with this week’s Etsy Find. I won’t be able to afford this gorgeous handcrafted Paper Lotus Light Shade right now, but I hope someone can. Better yet, I hope someone buys me this for Christmas!

You want to know the best part? These hanging light shades are custom made to order so you can specify size, and even color. The dynamic duo behind this beautiful lotus also make other lamp shades, which are really lamp shade sculptures.

Lest you worry that your beautiful lotus light shade will burst into flames right before your eyes after just a couple of hours of glowing warmly, no need to worry. Blue Tree is way ahead of you (or maybe it’s just me). All paper lamp shades are treated with a “protective finish” rendering them non-flammable and moisture resistant. This is fabulous news.

So, Dad, Sister, Mother, Brother, Someone Who Loves Me, Children of Mine, Stranger on the Street, take note. This is on my WISH LIST. If you’ve been in my kitchen, I think you’ll agree. I need this.

** Disclaimer - All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. No one has approached me asking me to review their product. Most importantly, I don’t always BUY these items (what, you think this blog is making me any MONEY?) This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web.

Imagine how hip your fridge is going to look with these droplets of subtle colors and reflection holding up your kids’ artwork (or your own). These Fairy Drops Magnets would make wonderful gifts and for the price, you could fill 100 stockings with the little darlings. There are over 30 designs to choose from and they can be found at Aerie Fairy’s Etsy Shop. I corresponded with her to ask her how many were in a package (8-9 FYI). I assure you, she’s prompt and ridiculously friendly (that’s a good thing). Tell her I sent you, not because she’ll do me any favors, I just want her to know that good product combined with friendly service has its rewards.

** Disclaimer #1 - All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web.

**Disclaimer #2 - I have just ordered my set of Fairy Drops Magnets so I cannot speak to the quality, speed of shipping, or anything else regarding the shipping and receipt of this product. I can tell you she has all positive reviews, and my correspondence with her was very positive. I will update this post when I receive my order.

** “This Week’s Etsy Find” will be a weekly feature as of this very moment. Yep, I just decided, so if you want to get your etsy fix, you’ll know to come back here every Monday morning for Velvet Verbosity’s ultra-hip and tasteful finds.

For those of you not in the know, Velvet Verbosity just got a new laptop for work so that I can be mobile. Two teens demand a lot of moving around and at work we decided it would be worth it for me to be able to have a mobile office.

I chose a nifty sleeve for my Macbook Pro from the Apple Store Online. It’s nice. It’s red. I like red. But it just doesn’t have that umph, that “heeey, how YOU doin?”, that “do you know what’s inside here?”, that *POP*. It’s just…red. And padded.

That’s why I fell in love with these designs by Janine King. Sleeves, totes and briefcases, take your pick. I personally like the sleeves because they come with a handle.

I like this retro look.

P.S. I want to come up with a catchy name for this weekly review. Ideas? Shoot me some.

I’m lusting for craftsmanship I can’t afford. I don’t care much for material things for the sake of having them…for the sake of show or keeping up with the Joneses.

But I do have expensive taste when it comes to craftsmanship. My mother used to say I could pick out the most expensive item in a store in seconds flat when I was a child. She was referring to clothes. It was true, I based my preference on what felt good, and that usually meant more expensive fabrics, careful craftsmanship around the seams and so on.

Today, there are two things I’m lusting after.

1. A Vanilla bicycle. These are hands-down the most beautifully crafted bicyles on the planet and I WANT one. Actually, I would like two but that’s just greedy.

2. A Leica camera. Again, I want more than one. I want an R-series, the new SLR digital body, and the mini-digital reproduction made by Minox (recently absorbed into Leica).

So forget the roses, bring me crafted metal and smooth working gears. I’ll love you forever.

(Image from www.vanillabicycles.com)

Hate the smell of chemicals in your home or on your skin? Worried about what you’re flushing down the sink drain? Environmentally conscientious but still want things that work?

Myself, I’ve been called a “domestic bohemian” and a “pampered hippy”. I think what people are getting at is that I try to do my best by the environment and my body, but I still like products that WORK!

Recently I’ve discovered some new products and rediscovered some old ones and I thought I would share my recommendations for anyone who cares.

For cleaning house:

1. Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint soap (you can choose any other scent but I particularly like this one). I rediscovered Dr. Bronner’s while at someone’s house who used it on their floors. I used to use it to kill white flies on herb plants and in a pinch for soap and shampoo. I don’t recommend it for shampoo as it seems to leave my hair tangled and a bit dry. HOWEVER, I discovered that it does make an excellent floor cleaner, is great on the bathtub and sink, and even for dishes. When mixed with hot water it dissolves soap scum and dirt easily, and no gloves needed since it’s all natural! It does also make a great soap if you run out of deoderant and keeps you odor free all day.

2. Sun and Earth dish soap and all purpose cleaner. Mmmmm, smells like orange, suds but rinses easily. And the benefit of putting money into a small conscientious company.

Body products:

1. Burt’s Bees has some of the best natural make-up around. I prefer natural because it feels better on my skin, and isn’t perfumed. Their lip tints are the best for every day casual wear when you don’t want to wear full on lipstick.

2. Burt’s Bees pore refining mask. This is the absolute best clay mask I’ve ever found that isn’t high cost. This is what turned me on to Burt’s Bees in the first place. Totally transforms the skin.

3. Just found the best best wax kit EVER! It’s called Moom, also all-natural, not actually a wax but works the same. Comes with reusable cloth strips and the stuff is soooo easy to rinse off. Just warm water and it comes right off. For men and women, for face and body, I highly recommend it. HIGHLY.

4. Also just found an essential oil perfume that I actually like. Tunisian Opium…yummy.

5. Tea Tree Oil. You need to have this in your medicine cabinet. Especially if you spend time outdoors. I’ve used this for so many things for myself and children. Helps clear acne, natural antiseptic, kills skin fungus like athlete’s foot, repels ticks and mosquitos (also removes ticks), put a few drops in steamy water and inhale to open airways and clear congestion …I know there’s tons more. Just about any skin or scalp condition you can think of except ones that need moisturizing.

That should hold you for a while. Got any recommendations for me?