Etsy, the online marketplace for handmade goods

You may have noticed that I was absent from my blogs for a few days. (If not, I still love you anyway!) I took a break last week to get my Etsy store up and going. It's called La Vida Dulce and there is a box on the right hand side of the screen where you can preview my current offerings.


I discovered Etsy completely by accident. I've had an e-Bay Store for years and was searching for another selling venue, when I happened upon Etsy. They're very similar as to how listings are posted, although their fees are substantially different and Etsy is oriented almost entirely toward handmade items and support for those crafty people.


Etsy is also a "Buy-It-Now" community. There is no auction and waiting period. If you want it, you buy it. There is the familiar feedback and store set up, but the listings all look very similar. There apparently is no use of HTML, which keeps the listings from being overly gaudy or sensational.


Of course, I'll still have my e-Bay store, as I sell books there. Did I tell you that I'm a book worm from way back? It's true. And I love to learn! When I was piecing together my sons' curriculum for homeschool this year I went so far overboard I almost touched the bottom of the ocean! Embarrassing but true. Hence the textbook selection. I would never need all of those books on hand and I'm not planning on starting a library anytime soon, so off to e-Bay we went!


I will be selling a variety of items on Etsy, made in between projects for the Prayer Shawl Ministry. The first of which is listed now - a Pink and Black boucle shrug. Perfect for spring!





Thanks to my lovely friend, Lauren, for being my model!

Coming soon:

Cotton household goods - wash or dish cloths, reusable dusting cloths for floor and above!

More gift ideas...

Many of us are in the final days of Christmas shopping and some have hardly started. While you're considering those left on your list and the possible debt already incurred, I encourage you to consider creating some gifts with your own two hands. For many, there is nothing quite as delightful as receiving a handmade gift!


For the coffee or hot chocolate lover:

Consider a "new" mug filled with single coffee or hot chocolate packets. There are many flavors available at the market or you can throw some together you're own. (See "Another Gift Idea" for a quick cocoa mix.) The added benefit here would be that you could customize each serving for the individual gift recipient.

If your friend loves Mocha, Mint, Cappuccino, or any of the other popular flavors, this website has hundreds of recipes. Pick their favorite flavor and have an economical batch in no time.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/cat/310/

Or, you could whip up some flavored stir sticks. You'll need some clear or white heavy duty plastic spoons, which can be found at the many dollar stores in large quantity, candy and/or chocolate. May we suggest peppermint patties, peppermint candies, butterscotch, Hershey chocolate bar, Butterfinger, dark chocolate or caramel.

Simply melt the candy or chocolate over a double-boiler, to prevent scorching.

Once the item has melted sufficiently, insert a clean spoon into the mixture to coat the base of the spoon.

Place the spoon face up on a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper until hardened.

After the candy coating has hardened, wrap them individually in plastic wrap.

Secure each wrapped spoon with a twist tie and include one in the coffee mug with coffee mix. Or, fill the coffee mug with multiple flavored spoons!

The mug you choose to gift can be a brand new mug, one they've always chosen to use at your home, or one purchased from a thrift store. Thrift stores have mugs that have hardly been used just waiting for a new home. Many of those stores, such as Goodwill and Salvation Army, reuse the money in your community to help others. What a fantastic bonus!



For the movie critic:

Pick up a movie for them from the bargain bin at WalMart or another discount store. I have recently found many top 80's and 90's releases for $2-$5 each, brand new. Make sure to tailor your choice to their taste (comedy, horror, romance, etc...) perhaps tying the choice to a childhood memory or memory of something you may have experienced together.

Pop the movie into a bag with some microwave popcorn and 2 sodas. You'll give the gift of a movie night to celebrate with the person of their choice. If you're crafty, you could even print up some fake movie tickets to include or use as the gift tag.





For the music fiend:

Make a contemplation CD of their favorite songs or songs that bring back memories for them. You could included songs that were popular in their childhood, teen years, or college. There are many sites on the web that you can make them at, utilize your own collection, or the gift recipients.

Most computers come preloaded with the appropriate software. Roxio, Microsoft, Nero and My Music Tools are very popular for this application. If you don't have these services on your current computer you can normally download them at their respective websites.

Many software programs also have the capability of printing out CD labels or imprinting directly to the CD. Follow that up with a custom insert that details the contents of the CD. Be sure and include a special message! Use the space to note why you chose the songs you did or why you believe the recipient will enjoy your choices.

Whatever your gift choices make them thoughtful and remember that the smile upon the recipients face will be payment for your time and effort. NEVER gift with thoughts of a return gift. It takes away your joy of the moment!

And, we're off!

In the mad rush that has become the holiday shopping season, Americans have been known in years past for their excesses. It looks like we're off to a good start this year. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

Good for - the economy, the government (tax income), the ever increasing "big box" stores, UPS, FedEx, USPS, airlines, AmTrak, and people who just love stuff...any stuff...so long as it's stuff (and potentially returnable!)

Bad for - families who live within their means, families living far beyond their means, children who will become more inundated with toy commercials on Saturday morning, people who have recently been laid off or soon will be, small stores that will "make it or break it" in December, and probably the stock market (I think people will pull money out of stocks to "salvage" Christmas this year.)

Since our family has recently changed from a two income family to one we will be cutting back this year along with hundreds of others. Is that such a bad thing? Not in my opinion. Do we have to buy $50+ worth of gifts for each and every person that we've ever come in contact with, including our postman? No. (We didn't personally but many of our friends do.)

This year I'll be adding to my list of baked goods and other handmade gifts. It's something I started several years ago after watching Martha Stewart make infused vinegars. That very day I found a great deal on some glass bottles, perfect for vinegars. Add a few handfuls of fresh herbs, maybe some citrus, and white or red vinegar and you're in business!

Of course, not everyone used their gift. Some still have them on display in their kitchens. However, I customized each bottle according to what I thought the recipient would use - salad topping, marinade, or display. (Yes, I planned that. Not everyone cooks, even if they say differently!)

If you're interested in giving it a try, here are some links that you may find helpful:

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/infusedmixes (This link discusses the differences between infused oil and vinegar and points out some great health concerns.)

http://www.ehow.com/how_4453680_make-herb-infused-vinegar-salads.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art (This link goes over the basic canning techniques and offers a recipe. I need to point out that I didn't use lids. Instead I used corks which I covered with hot wax to seal. You can melt down some cheap white candles for the wax or used leftover candle pieces you have around the house.)

http://www.galenacanning.com/index.php?categoryID=90 (This link will provide some ideas on what items you can infuse into the vinegar and what to pair it with. Consider whether or not your recipient likes salads, steak, pork chops, etc...)

http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/article/553/18536 (This link gives exact measurements, if you're so inclined. I'm a "dasher" personally - a little of this, a little of that. It's terrible for baking but serves me well elsewhere.)

Over the next several weeks I'll provide other gift ideas. Feel free to follow along. We'd love to have the company!