The 2014 Martha Stewart American Made award finalists: A few of our favorite shops worth voting for

We are thrilled that Martha Stewart is again shining a spotlight on those gifted American makers who brings us so many gorgeous items to decorate our homes, dress our babies, and beautify our lives through the 2014 American Made awards. And now it's time for you to vote for the Audience Choice Winner  from over 1,000 finalists. That $10,000 prize could go a long way towards helping one of your favorite American companies succeed. Though you can vote up to six times in a 24 hour period from now until October 13th, good luck narrowing your votes down to only six companies. Need a little help? Here are just five of the finalists that are among our long-time favorite shops at Cool Mom Picks:   From hand-stamped ornaments, to striking animal-shaped blackboards (above), to heirloom wooden furniture for kids, Paloma's Nest has been one of our favorite companies for years. There's a good reason Caroline and Jose Vasquez and their wonderful work shows up in so many of our gift guides - and now in our own Indie Shop!   Pretty, modern jewelry made with "love & a hammer," we love that Freshie & Zero jewelry makes the beautiful pieces that only look like they are expensive. We especially love her collection of mother's keepsake necklaces.   A true trash-to-treasure idea, Box Play For Kids helps you turn your recyclables into fun toys using their adorably designed and clever stickers. Hey, kids often do love playing with the box the gift came in more than the gift itself, don't they?     Nutty Steph makes delicious handmade granola, tasty Magic Chunks, and gorgeous naturally-hued pink chocolate bunnies, all created with the yummiest natural ingredients so you can feel good feeding them to your kids. (If you are willing to share).   Another finalist that we've adored  for ages are the all-natural art supplies from the mom-and-pop run Eco-Kids. For years, they've helped our kids make beautiful crafts like Easter eggs and fingerpaint creations, all using ingredients that won't worry us too much when the kids do the inevitable taste test. But hey, with more than a thousand finalists, surely there are tons more you've seen on these pages--and even more new ones to discover. Whichever companies win, we're just so happy that so many cool new indie products are going to get in more hands. Vote each day until October 13 for up to six of your favorite shops in Martha Stewart's 2014 American Made awards. Ten winners will be chosen in all to win $10,000 and other prizes. Nine winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and one will be the audience-choice winner.  If all this voting puts you in the mood for shopping, check out Martha Stewart's American Made eBay shop. You'll want to bookmark this one for your holiday shopping too.