Judging by the number of times I hear the word “Etsy” thrown around this office in a week, it’s clear we all love to unearth authentic handmade goods. And during heat waves, who doesn’t love to shop online for made-by-your-neighbor gems?

One site to hit this week is that of Birchrunville silversmiths Susan and Victor Roggio. Their funky, carefree jewelry will inspired you to get in touch with your inner flower child. My faves are the Circle Earrings for $33 and their adorable Fashion Girl Pin — for $53, it’s the perfect little extra gift for a high-school grad packing her bags for FIT or RISD. They’ve got hundreds of designs and work with copper and bronze, too.

roggiojewelry.com

I made a super-quick run into Sephora the other afternoon during lunch (have I mentioned how nice it is to have one right around the corner from the office?), just to grab my usual Diorshow mascara (I somehow bought waterproof last time, and was not enjoying the nightly elbow grease it was taking to scrape it — and one by one, my eyelashes — off, but that’s another story … ), and was intrigued by these large bottles filled with pretty-colored liquid that I spied out of the corner of my eye …

It seems Marc Jacobs has nicely come out with three different scents of limited edition Splash, perfectly light for all-over summer spritzing. And while three doesn’t sound like a lot, it was enough to turn my super quick run into an all-out, dilemma-filled session, as I tried to decide which one — basil, pear or grapefruit — would be mine.

I walked out of there with a limb smelling like each, and the 10-oz. bottle of pear in my bag. And judging my how much of it I used just over the weekend, I should probably stock up before they’re out of it the next time I’m out of mascara.

Anyone who still thinks of a crafts fair as a place to buy tissue box holders and “I (heart) my daschund” signs needs to get out a little more often. Trailblazing crafty boutique owners Erin Waxman and Megan Brewster, who recently moved their artfully chic shop from Liberties Walk to 623 N. Second Street, have likewise moved their extremely extraordinary, thoroughly popular Art Star Craft Bazaar for its oh-so-cool 5th b-day.

This weekend, head to Penn’s Landing Great Plaza on Columbus Boulevard (a.k.a. Delaware Ave between Walnut and Market Streets) for the event — think stuffed felt donuts and hand-screened t-shirts and très urban tote bags and sleek to colorful to, OK, kinda crafty jewelry, plus tons more things you’ll wish you made yourself. I swear, it’ll inspire you to dig out your knitting needles from storage, to take a class in letterpress, or, at least, to snatch up all the spectacular (and affordable) little wonders that other people have made all by themselves and are now happy to sell directly to you. Artificial flower arrangements not included.

Photo, etsy.com

Among Philly Mag’s greatest hits of local designers, the peeps behind Two Paperdolls/Louella Press might as well win a lifetime “Best of Philly” for overall adorable-ness. The cutie-pie card makers always came up with the winning-est wedding invites, the darling-est holiday cards, the perfect-est baby greetings.

The sole caveat to their impeccable style record: The “dolls’” Wayne studio is just too far from our Center City offices. Never could we pop in on a Wednesday for the perfect gift enclosure or drop by on a Thursday for a most merci-ful thank-you note or swing in on a Friday for a preppy b-day cake on thick cotton stock (see here).

Until now. Now, with the launch for their new e-tail store, Louella/Paperdolls makes their irresistible stationery as close as the computer. (Which, for we office-bound editor/writer types, means always very close.)

Louella Press, 5 Louella Court, Wayne, 610-293-3690; louellapress.com

I’ll say one thing for this job — it sure makes Christmas shopping easier. My Monday to-do list included a stop at the new kitchen-and-gift boutique Kitchenette, but in between taking diligent notes and chatting with (um, interviewing) the friendly owner Bob Smith, I just happened to get some shopping done.

I’ve already got a few kitchen-y, hostess-y things for my dad’s soon-to-be-wife, and these PPD napkins with Anne Taintor’s retro-jest concept were just the perfect gift bag top-off. Taintor’s got a slogan for everyone, I swear. And I think the message on these is a perfectly apt welcome to my family: Nothing says “White Family Christmas” like the combination of sarcasm and alcohol.

Kitchenette, 1120 Walnut Street, 215-829-4949

Photo, David Senior

Where some see the expansion of public displays of art, others see another opportunity to shop. The exhibits currently running at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s new Perelman Building are worth seeing, especially for lifestyle junkies — one highlighting couture fashion will give those who were sad to miss fashion week last month a little thrill; another showcases modern furnishings and might remind you of shopping at Design Within Reach (what came first? The sleek museum gallery or the high-end retail space with stark white walls?).

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One of the perks of working at a place where people are always scouting out the latest have-to-have-it products is that you get really great birthday gifts. Case in point: Last Thursday (my birthday), one of my fabulous co-workers presented me with two of these jewel-shaped ice cube trays — because, after all, ice cubes are so last year.

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My nephew and niece are undeniably the cutest children in the world. There’s just no question. They’re also pretty darn lucky: Their aunt is a sucker for clothing, toys and books that will complement their cuteness, and, as of this Monday, she has a stunning children’s boutique within shouting distance of her studio apartment where she can purchase multiple gifts to spoil them completely, thereby ruining them for their parents. Yipee!

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Today is my sister’s birthday. I love my sis, and know she’ll be happy with nearly any gift she gets (as long as it’s not a gift certificate for parasailing; my brother-in-law made that mistake a couple of years ago).

Usually, I get her something wrapped in a paper that cost almost as much as the present itself. But this year, my family and I got together to give her a gift certificate from Organic Home, the Collingswood-based green cleaning service that everyone seems to be buzzing about in yoga class, the coffee shop, the market, our office, etc.

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I love Lush for its not-tested-on-animals bath-and-body products that contain tantalizing ingredients like cocoa powder, almond oil, honey and fresh bananas. But I must also admit that I love Lush for how it smells. In a city where I find myself holding my breath for entire blocks to avoid, well, city odors, this store makes more than its fair contribution to community beautification. The lovely aroma emanates from the shop and down Walnut Street so that I start breathing easier around Kenneth Cole. And now they’re even offering a brief escape to Hawaii without the full day of travel.

Tonight from 5 to 8 p.m., Lush is hosting a luau party where you can sample their products containing tropical ingredients (try the Volcano Foot Mask with fresh papaya or the Ocean Salt scrub with fresh grapefruit infusion). RSVP by calling the store or e-mail them at 621Walnut@Lush.com to get a goody bag with $40 purchase at the event.

Lush, 1428 Walnut Street, 215-546-5874; lush.com