Meet Etsy seller Andrea Ament. Andrea’s fun shop is called LegalMissSunshine, and I am loving tons of the items listed!  My favorite item in the shop is this cuff link set that is a perfect Valentine’s Day gift.  These vintage style wooden typewriter cuff links are selling for $15.00 – great price!

I first met Andrea via my Etsy Item of the Day shop submission page.

“I’m Andrea – I’m a law school student and since the law books can get pretty dry and boring, I have my Etsy shop to keep the creativity alive!” she told me.  ”I create upcycled jewelry displays and mail sorters using vintage and antique letterpress displays and sewing drawers. Also, I love all things vintage, especially vintage paper – so I have a vast collection of vintage and antique shooting targets with amazing graphics of crows, raccoon, and gophers for sale.”

When she’s not working on items for her Etsy shop, Andrea told me about a few other hobbies of hers.

“I love film photography and shopping at flea markets and antique stores. But right now, I am currently planning my wedding, so a lot of my time goes to finding the perfect little touches,” she said.

I asked Andrea where she likes to shop on Etsy.com and she told me about a shop called ThatBlueOldHouse2.

“I absolutely love the vintage inspired lace jewelry from ThatBlueOldHouse2,” she told me.

Loving Andrea’s work? Be sure to check out her cute shop by clicking the shop link found at the top of this feature (LegalMissSunshine). You can also check her out on Facebook and Twitter @LegalMsSunshine!

- Jackie

I first started seeing these furry animal hood hats at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival here in Park City, UT.  I have seen them pop up again this year, so I just have to ask…

What do you guys think of these hats?

I think they are pretty darn cute, but not sure I can pull it off!

- Jackie

I will be spending a lot of time the next 10 days at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT.

I’m really excited for the festival and I’m sure I will be wearing many scarves like the one above from Etsy seller shoprarebird.

Anyone else in town for the Sundance Film Festival?

- Jackie

Meet Mariana and Paula, the seller behind the darling Etsy shop branda.  Their hand-knit accessories shop has a great selection of scarves, cowls, hats, mitts and bags.  Each item is handmade with pure wool, blend yarns, acrylics and other materials.

“We are Mariana and Paula, two sisters from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who make minimalist, subtle, and chic hand knitted clothing accessories,” the duo told me in their recent shop submission to Etsy Item of the Day.  ”We are the designers behind Branda, our online Etsy shop. We’ve found your blog and believe that our work could fit on it.  Our collection consists of a large variety of colorful scarves complemented with cowls, ponchos, hats, bags, laced cuffs and fingerless gloves. Our pieces are made with quality yarns such as merino wool, llama yarn, cotton and why not with acrylic for those who are allergic or vegan.”

So where did the Etsy shop name “branda” come from?

“The name Branda refers to our grandma who taught us how to knit when we were little girls,” they told me.  ”When we think about designing a new piece, we think about what we would like to use ourselves and what we would look for when shopping. Our garments are the must have classic pieces, easy to wear and combine!”

When they are not making items for their Etsy shop, the sisters told me they are likely shopping or having a good time with family and friends.

Their advice to new Etsy sellers is to have a lot of patience, be a good mate, be very self-critical, always participate, have an excellent customer service, and work hard.

What can we expect in the coming months from Mariana and Paula?

“We are thinking in new spring products, adapting some items such as handbags and seeking to find new items to incorporate,” they told me.

Love the work of these sisters? Be sure to peep their WordPress blog, their Blogger, Tumblr, Flickr account, Facebook page, and Twitter @marianaypaula.

- Jackie