Thanks, Etsy elves, for making me look like a genius.

I had grandiose plans to create something handmade for all my loved ones this year, but since I didn’t start in March, like I should have if I was being at all realistic, I only pulled off a 20% success rate. (But what I did make, gets gold stars. Stay tuned for show and tell.) Here are some things I found on Etsy this year that made me look like the Sean Connery of gift giving. (Yeah – I'm not sure either, just roll with it.)


I can’t say enough good things about wildcloudberry, the seller who made this lovely scarflette for my bosom buddy Selma. I perused the shop, and loved the garments, but didn’t see one that was 100% Selma-esque. So I inquired, and not only did the woman knit a custom cowl from the shade of yarn and variety of button I requested, she did it in record time. It arrived just a couple days later, wrapped up all darling in a manner that you know you’ll never be able to replicate if you open to take a peek. Which I proved true. Anyway, I loved the scarflette, as did Selma.


What do you get a man so obsessed with BBQ that he watches Pit Master marathons and already has an iron brander that spells out his name? A fancy rub sampler, that’s what. The set from purposedesign includes eight different hand-blended rubs in small reusable tins. Chimichurri Rub, I’ve got my eye on you.

What do you get a man so obsessed with his iPhone that he recently broke his Word Warp high score while in the bathtub? (BBQ guy and iPhone guy are one in the same, by the way. And sorry, Beardy, for outing your weird man-bath time.) Anyway, you get him this iPhone/iPod dock by Woodtec. I thought about getting all metaphorical about the marriage of technology and the outdoors, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s a log, that charges your iPhone. That alone is reason enough. Plus it brings me one step closer to molding Beard into the lumberjack of my dreams. A tech-saavy Paul Bunyan. The metamorphosis will be complete as soon as I figure out a reason to keep an ax in the house. Or… not. I’ll make a pros and cons list.

Happy New Year, everyone! It's going to be good. I can feel it.