Giveaway: Etsy Seller Rockshanks

When you're planning your wedding, there's a lot of gifts to think about. There's the gifts that you register for and end up returning most of because you really didn't need that much silverware. There's the gifts you give your parents (which never, ever are really as great as all the gifts they probably give you during this time...like, perhaps, your whole wedding). There's the gifts you give your wedding party to tell them how much you love and appreciate their presence in your life. And then there's the gift you're supposed to give each other in celebration of the fact that you're teaming up against the world for the rest of your lives.

Man, that's a lot of gifts.

I'm one of those people who likes to go for "personal" over "pricey" when giving gifts. Sure, people like nice jewelry and fine housewares, but I prefer the gifts that reference an inside joke or really show that you know that person and knew that they would totally love Gift X when you saw it in the store. For that reason, I've come to rely on Etsy.com for a lot of my gift giving. I think of something that I love about a person or some moment that we've shared together and then I find a gift that references that thing in some way. For example, I bought a journal recently for a friend and was able to find one that was made out of a repurposed aquarium map that also happened to be a place we visited together when we were in high school. It's a little touch, but she liked it all the more because I put that thought into it.

That's why I LOVE repurposed jewelry and one of the best sellers that I've found on Etsy is Rockshanks, who makes pieces that are beautiful, but also really fun and unexpected. (I think my absolute favorite are the pieces she makes from the Fisher Price people.) She's made jewelry out of Scrabble Tiles, Monopoly Pieces, Guitar Picks, Bottle Caps, Watches, Lego Pieces, Buttons, Typewriter Keys, Costume Jewelry, Charms and Charm Bracelets, etc. It's so easy to look through her shop and trigger a happy memory...I totally recommend it.

And, because I love her stuff so much, Rockshanks has agreed to donate one of her special Disney pieces to this week's giveaway and I am THRILLED! I think this would be perfect either for a Disney lover or as a gift for someone who shares a special memory of a vacation to the parks. (Perhaps a best friend or a big sister who also happens to be a Maid of Honor?) It's a necklace made with two repurposed pieces: a Disney pendant and an Epcot pewter souvenier spoon. How awesome is that?

Giveaway!
To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post and tell me what little trinket or toy you'd love to have on a necklace. Anything goes here...cracker jack toys, Oscar Mayer Weenie whistles...shoot for the moon on this one! Just make sure to put something because people who don't play don't get counted as entries. The winner will be announced on Saturday...

And don't forget to check out Rockshanks' store, especially if you're partial to Lego people!

UPDATE: We have a winner!