Friday Faves 34 - December Celebrations, Part I

Well, here we are again. It's the month of December, which holds a number of important dates within its 31 days. There is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day to honor the fallen of that sad time, World War II. Then we have the happier holidays such as Chanukah, or the Festival of Lights, (which is the celebration of the re-dedication of the Temple and the miracle of the oil that lasted 8 days instead of the expected only one day, and that was just enough time to press and prepare more oil). I love that! Then we have Winter Solstice, Yule or Julfest (where we get the -- M'm! Yummy! -- Yule Ham, or Boar, and a lot of our other Christmas traditions from the early pagan celebrations of the Germanic tribes). Of course we also have Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve. So there are going to be a lot of parties, celebrations and festivals and family get togethers to attend during this month. And what does that mean for Friday Faves? Well, it means we have a LOT of shopping to do in a short amount of time!

This week's Friday Faves is part of a two-part series where we will be exploring gifts and celebratory items made available by the wonderful shop owners at Etsy.com.

And to get us started, here's some music that I feel encompasses a sense of the season no matter what your particular celebration might be. Simply lovely music from George Winston's album December, here are Night Parts I, II and III - Snow, Midnight and Minstrels, respectively:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIsq216rhsY

Now, let's go shopping!

December Shop Number 1
Shop name: Scribblers Crayons
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ScribblersCrayons?ref=seller_info

These are just cute to the extreme! I know how much I loved my crayons when I was little, I can only imagine how much fun these would be to color and draw with.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85599130/hanukah-dreidel-crayon-set-of-4-crayons

December Shop Number 2
Shop name: JISTglass
http://www.etsy.com/shop/JiSTglass?ref=seller_info

This contemporary menorah I just found to be stunning! What a beautiful yet functional sculpture in glass.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59199276/black-and-bevel-stained-glass-chanukah

December Shop Number 3
Shop name: Woods of Foster
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Woodsoffoster?ref=seller_info

Now, if you happen to not own a great hall with a fireplace where you can slowly burn a rather sizable log, you can still keep a Yule Log alight throughout the night with this lovely two-candle Yule Log decoration.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87551192/2-candle-birch-log?ref=v1_other_2

December Shop Number 4
Shop name: A Creative Princess
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ACreativePrincess?ref=seller_info

You say you don't have enough room in your small apartment for a Christmas Tree? Or maybe you want something seasonal to brighten your office or cubicle? Well, how about this beautifully crafted 3-D effect Christmas Tree in a lovely wooden embroidery hoop?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/61639568/3-d-christmas-tree-wall-hanging

December Shop Number 5
Shop name: Simply Lovely
http://www.etsy.com/shop/justsimplylovely?ref=seller_info

Do the holidays bring out those romantic feelings of love for that special someone in your life? This very unique and absolutely gorgeous card will be a treasure for that special someone for years to come.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/84707235/luxury-hand-made-christmas-card

And that's all for this week's Friday Faves. What's your favorite holiday song? I'd love to read all about it in the comments. I hope to see you back here next week when we continue browsing the shops of Etsy to find more great December holiday items to inspire and delight you and yours.

Have a great weekend everyone and take care out there!