A late night conversation with Maggie made me realize that Halloween is just 3 months away. Give or take a week or two. Still… wow. This year is flying by. I’ve been trying to create my Christmas shopping list early in the hopes of having family gifts taken care of ahead of time. I know, groan, Christmas is still 5 months away, but the fact is not everyone has a boat load of disposable cash hanging around to take care of things at the last minute. Depending on which articles you read the economy is on the brink of recovery or complete destruction.

I’ve been snooping around Etsy quite a bit because I like the thought of spending my money on smaller businesses rather than giant chains. Yeah, I know sometimes I can find it cheaper in price (and quality!) somewhere else but there is something unique and special about handmade items.

Take rustic decor at Scenic Furniture. A family owned business making handmade furniture. Sure, some of it might not suit all tastes but I found quite a few things that I absolutely love.

I love this one because I’ve been looking for something really unique to go on my front porch. Everyone around my neighborhood either has the standard park bench or the little bistro set and I’m really looking to make my front porch look really different.

This one is really cool because it’s unfinished which gives you lots and lots of options in terms of colors and stains. Kind of makes for an easy way to get a unique look when you can customize it with whatever color suits your fancy.

Unfortunately, their prices aren’t for the faint of heart, but there is a wide selection and some of the things aren’t too unreasonable. Of course, that always depends on your taste and budget.