For a fashion blogger, I'm strangely resistant towards online shopping. Despite all that clicking around on the internet, oogling at pretty things, I remain an old-school shopper, preferring to be able to touch and try on the things I wish to purchase. Other push factors include unfavourable exchange rates (less of a problem now -- the recession is good for something!), expensive shipping charges and the possibility of losing my object of lust in the great abyss of foreign postal systems.

This was before I came across handmade wonderland Etsy. I spend hours on the site, scrolling through one shop after another. As with all other online resources of covetable goodies, certain skills are needed to effectively navigate it with success. A little tip for the overwhelmed Etsy shopper: identify individuals who are as obsessive compulsive about Etsy as you are and whose tastes you trust. They are likely to provide you with good recommendations and direct you to things you'll love too. For me, these are a group of design bloggers I follow religiously, including A Cup of Jo, Black Eiffel and Unruly Things.