Etsy Finds

Well, I've got a lot of free time on my hands since classes don't start until next week, so I've been dinking around on Etsy drooling over various travel-related items available. It makes me wish it had occurred to me to go Etsy-shopping before I left, but somehow in the rush to get out the door I neglected to do so. So I decided to blog about what I would buy if I went on a no-holds-barred Etsy shopping spree before traveling. And no, I didn't pay attention to prices, because it's not a REAL shopping spree. Unless anyone needs birthday hints. So here goes:

This is my favorite find - a little vintage tin photo album. Inside there's a folding photo sleeve on one side, and a little frame on the other side. Vintage tin by Garden of Blessings

Vintage leather shoulder bag - a good day bag for wandering around the city, nice and secure and hard to pickpocket. Plus it looks like it's big enough to hold a book, always an important quality in a good bag. Vintage bag by Rue Des Louves

For home...

And abroad. Since they're only 8 1/2" x 11" it would be easy to sandwich them between cardboard and slip into your suitcase. Geez, I wish I'd thought of that before I left. Prints by Hop Skip Jump Paper

This is of course assuming that the destination is hot and sunny. If so, this is the perfect sun hat. I kinda need one of these actually, I wonder if they ship to South Africa. Vintage hat by Five Stones Vintage

Since the key to efficient packing when traveling is dressing in layers - here's a cardigan I found that could probably double as a jacket in warmer climates. It's hemp and organic cotton, and looks super comfy. Cardigan by Stephanie Teague

This is probably an item that isn't as useful today as it might have been several years ago, but it is still pretty cool, and finding it makes me want to set out on a big city adventure with only this and a map. Or perhaps a wander across the Serengeti a la Ryszard Kapuscinski. Vintage compass/sundial by Ronika Lee

This is what started the Etsy hunt - a vintage travel alarm clock that can be set to a specific city's time zone. Choices include Hongkong, Sydney, Denver, New York, London, Beirut, Tehran, Kabul, Rangoon, etc. I love the face design, and that it's compact, and that it would save me the brain ache of trying to calculate the time after just flying to a new destination. Alas, this exact clock doesn't work properly, but now I know what to keep an eye out for. Vintage clock by Lady Song Bird

And here is a lovely matchbox sewing kit designed for a couple quick on-the-go fixes. It's not equipped to reconstruct an item of clothing, but it's perfect for replacing a button, or mending a small rip, or snipping off loose threads. Plus it would easily fit in one of the pockets of the leather bag above. It's put together with such care, it's hard not to include it in the list :) Matchbox sewing kit by A Place to Lay My Thread.

While searching for Etsy-provided travel pastimes, I came across these. Timekillers are always going to be necessary in travel, until teleportation is made widely available. These are rolled-paper knitting needles, created to go through security easily. Regular knitting needles are now apparently allowed through TSA checkpoints, but I've always been uneasy about carrying needles on in case I get a TSA agent on a bad day, or I'm traveling through another country's airport that might not adhere strictly to U.S. security regulations. Apparently they are not as functional as normal needles, but seem like a fine stand-in for a few hours or days spent in transit. I like the ingenuity, and I wish I'd seen these before as well, as I've had many a bored hour since leaving home when I wished I had some needles and yarn. Oh well, maybe next year! Paper knitting needles by Two Uncool Chicks.

It would be a terrible idea to travel without something to record your thoughts in. There are a lot of handmade journals available on Etsy, but I like this one specifically because it's made with good-quality pastel paper so it easily doubles as a sketchbook, and the seller customizes each book to order. All I need now is a compact pencil case to tote along with it. Leather journal/sketchbook by Lady Artisan.

And last but not least, this is just stinking cute - I think the heart-in-Africa design is typically used for people who are adopting from Africa, but as this seller says, "This little necklace needs no explanation - I love my continent!" So I'm including it here for that reason, not because I'm adopting anyone (sorry Mom, no grandkids yet). It's simple and lovely. I would just have to decide where on the continent I'd put the heart - a tough decision. Also, it's by a Cape Town artist! Necklace by Lola and Cash