Mornings are not typically my best time. Sure, I look like a million bucks with my gently tousled bedhead and seriously sexy (and only slightly worn-out), Old Navy pajamas, but sometimes I feel a touch, well, grumpy (although I’m sure Chris would describe my morning personality as similar to my morning breath – very sweet).

Saturday morning was different though. I leapt out of bed like it was Christmas morning and there was a new pair of Irregular Choices waiting under the tree for me. Because it was RENEGADE!

The Renegade Craft Fair is like meeting Etsy in person and finding out she’s just as fun and quirky as you’d hoped. Everything is handmade and…awesome. That’s it. It’s all awesome. Plus, all the crafters are there and ready to chat so it’s my dream day – non-stop talking and crafty awesomeness. Chris was so sad he couldn’t come.

At Renegade a cup is never just a cup. It’s a cup with some sort of excellent design that will have people asking, “Where in the world, did you find this?” Why at Circa Ceramics, thank you very much.

Here’s what I love best about Renegade – people are selling zombie flatware alongside heavenly, origami necklaces. There is literally something for everyone. Unless you don’t like crazy crafting and then, I’m thinking, you have much bigger problems.

Don’t tell anyone but this is going to be this year’s holiday pressie for all the kiddos in my life – handmade crayons in the shape of kitties and the perfect size for little hands to hold. Adorable, right?

If the world takes away one thing from the London Olympics this year it should be the tradition of Christmas crackers (oh, I hear ya. What about goodwill? Love? The Royal Family? Sure, those are nice. But, we’re talking paper tug-of-wars which gift you paper crowns that everyone is required, probably by law, to wear the rest of the day. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.) The delightful Robert doesn’t yet have a store where you can purchase his handmade crackers, but maybe if we inundate him with emails he’ll put one up.

And it was Renegade so I’m happy to report the woodland creatures were out in full force (love this jewelry holder by Lizbeth Navarro).

Bird Mafia creates these gorgeous, handcut paper cut-outs, which she then uses to enhance maps and photos. Awesome.

I admit it, I first fell in love with Tina Produce because she puts her tea towels in strawberry containers (can you blame me?); it was her strawberry onesie though that had me handing over the credit card.

As you can imagine, this is just the tip o’ the iceberg. I have lots more to share in the upcoming weeks, but right now I have some hand-cut shadow puppets calling my name.