Se Hace Camino Al Andar

I don’t know about you but I don’t use my PayPal account very often. I rarely have a balance, because I don’t sell many things online. When I buy from a PayPal merchant, the money usually comes directly from my checking account. Recently, though, thanks to a couple of small sells, I had 25 dollars sitting in my PayPal account. That money was burning a hole in my pocket, let me tell you!

I love to buy gifts for people and I love to buy special things that can’t be found everywhere. This is why I love Etsy. It’s a treasure trove! Sure, like any other online site, you have to weed out the crap but Etsy makes it easy by profiling different shops everyday. I’ve found most of my favorite shops and items this way. I also follow leads from twitter and other bloggers that I’ve deemed tastemakers.

I knew that on Etsy I would be able to find awesome gifts for my sisters and I challenged myself to find gifts for three of my sisters using the money available in my PayPal account. The best find on Etsy is paper! Beautiful, one-of-a-kind and inexpensive. (I can’t delve into specifics too much yet, lest my sisters read this blog post…)

First up, a nifty printable calendar from Little Brown Pen. I actually bought two items from this shop– a calendar for my sister, and Rainy Day Recipes to give out as gifts to friends. The best part about this is that you get a PDF with the designs, and you can print as many as you want to give away. Even with the cost of printing the gifts, it’s a great deal!

Next, a certain sister has been vying for calling cards. I know she wants pretty, expensive, letterpressed calling cards but that’s too rich for my blood, though if I were wealthy, I’d buy them for her in a heartbeat! Instead, I hope she’ll be pleased by calling cards printed by a woman in Belgium, who owns Enfin, La Voila. I love the look of the cards, and at 20 cards for ten bucks, I feel pretty good. I’m sure the cards won’t last her long but maybe she’ll be inspired to buy more of her choosing from this shop, instead of pining away for expensive ones.

Last but not least, a gift for the sister that is hardest to shop for. I wouldn’t presume to get her anything fashion-related because I have no style or taste. At least, I don’t have her style or taste! I found pretty notecards in CutiePie Company‘s shop. I love the bright, cheery look of the cards and the colorfulness of the matching envelopes. I think she’ll really like them and appreciate the aesthetic of the cards.

I am mighty pleased with myself. I avoided mass-market crap, I put a lot of thought into the gifts, I saved money and I supported small businesses!

Take a look around Etsy, come back here and share your favorite shop (and why) in the comments. Don’t forget to leave a link to the shop!  I’ll gift the Rainy Day Recipe set (the actual set, not the PDF file)  to whomever discovers my favorite shared find.

Technorati Tags: etsy, gifts, giveaway, paypal, shopping