Favorite! The Scarlet French Tulle Bow by alexandragrecco

The Scarlet French Tulle Bow by alexandragrecco

How beautiful is this??  Such a lovely picture!  This tulle bow looks like it would be amazing paired with a 50's or 60's style cocktail dress, something with a full skirt.  I guess that's mostly because the styling appears very 60's (because of the bangs, maybe?).  Actually, now that I think about it, it's rather lolita-ish!  It's shown in light yellow here, but is apparently available in other colors... and is attached on a comb.  To be honest, there isn't a lot of description on there.  Anyway, gorgeous.

So why won't I be buying it?  Ehhhh $50 is a bit steep for a big tulle bow.  Right?  Anyway, I'm still a novice at wearing fascinators.  Alexandragrecco does both accessories and clothing in a very romantic, girlish, lovely style, and they are worth checking out if you like such things!

well, not in action, but so you can see the comb...

Mini User Guide: Purchasing

Have you never bought something off of Etsy because you're not sure what the process will be?   Here is a little walk through of what happens when you "Check Out."  Remember, you need to create an account with Etsy first!  You do not need a Paypal account, but at the minimum you will need a credit card.

The other day I happened to find a beautiful clutch that I just had to have.  Just FYI, I already received it, so I will review it pretty soon probably. ;)  But anyway, having found it, I clicked "Add to Cart":

In doing so, I was taken to a page that showed the item was in my cart.  Now, at this point, you can "Keep Shopping" or "Check Out".  Keep in mind that "you buy from one shop at a time", as it says right on the page.  So if you're going to keep shopping, you ought to keep to the same shop.  You can put items in your cart from other shops as well, however you will have to go through the check out/payment process for each shop.  So, right now, let's click "Check out with Paypal".  Sometimes sellers have other methods of payment, such as check or money order.  If this is the case.. well, I've never encountered that before!  You probably have to initiate a conversation with the seller, which I guess we'll go into in another posting.

So clicking "Check out with Paypal" brings you to Paypal's website, which clearly shows the cost of the item, shipping cost, and how the item will show up on your credit card statement. One thing I found was that this item's seller lives in Chicago, which is in the same state I live in!  So an additional state sales tax was added.  As I said earlier, you don't need a Paypal account in order to pay with Paypal; there is a link below the sign-in boxes which shows that you can pay with a credit card as a "Paypal Guest".  Personally, I don't like that Etsy makes you pay first before actually submitting your order now (it used to be different).  This is mainly because if you get caught by a scammer, you've already paid them!  But, if you catch it in time, Paypal or your credit card should be able to help you get your money back.

So at this point, we've paid through Paypal.  It will then take you back to your Etsy order.  You can add a note to the seller if you like, for instance if you need gift wrapping (if they offer it, that is), if you'd like to make some customizations, or just a thank you.  You're so close to being done!!  Just click "Submit Order."

...And that's about it for now!  You will receive two e-mails; a notification of payment from Paypal, and a confirmation of your order from Etsy containing both your invoice details and a message from the seller.  They've got your order in now, so the next step is... waiting!  Your seller might send along a postal tracking number, or a conversation through Etsy saying that they've shipped your item.  They might not, too. :/

The very final part of an Etsy transaction is leaving feedback.  There will be a feedback page in your Etsy account reminding you of which items still need feedback left.  If you are leaving feedback for more than one item, use the batch feedback tool.  Make sure you do NOT leave feedback until you have received your item (or not), tried it out, and made a proper assessment of it.  I have seen feedback left saying "when will I receive my item?" which is like... come on, what?  Contact the seller through an Etsy conversation or an e-mail if you're still waiting!  Once you've left feedback, unless it's neutral or negative, you can't take it back or edit it.  So make sure you are satisfied with your transaction (or not; you can leave a Negative with a valid explanation behind it).  Feedback is really useful for other buyers, so it's good to note important things, such as "speedy shipping", "responded quickly", or "received item damaged!!".  Of course, if there's anything wrong, don't be too hasty... contact the seller and see if the situation can be resolved.

Hopefully this part of the guide was helpful, and you can take the first step to buying an item from Etsy!!

Mini User Guide: What is Etsy?

Have you heard of Etsy, but have no idea what it is?  ...How did you find this blog??  Ohh I see, you are probably my friend on Twitter ;)

In any case, I thought I'd better start up a little User's Guide to Etsy for the uninitiated.  This will be done in small installments.  First thing's first: What is Etsy?

Etsy is a collective of independently owned shops, populated with handmade and/or vintage items.  Sellers on Etsy span all over the globe, as do Buyers.  Naturally, you don't have to sell things to be able to buy on the site, and vice versa.  Although these shops are located on Etsy.com, when you buy from a shop, you are dealing directly with the Seller, not with Etsy.  Etsy just helps facilitate the sale through the convenience of a standardized website.  Payment methods are usually through Paypal, for which you do not have to actually sign up to use a credit card through.

The items that can be found on the site range all over the place.  You can buy a dozen cupcakes, a wool coat from the 50's, a sweater knitted specifically to your measurements, an artist's print, a pillow cover, anything!!  I mean, anything hand made or vintage.  You can search, or you can browse using nifty tools such as "Pounce", which allows you to view random items other buyers recently purchased or stores that have not had any sales, or "Colors", which allows you to pick a color and it will provide different merchandise matching that color!

Above all, Etsy is a way for small, independent sellers of handmade or vintage goods to reach customers.  The people at the site really try to create a community, mostly between sellers I think, but of course the goal is for both Sellers and Buyers to feel a part of the site.  So make a profile!!  You need to sign up to purchase or sell things.  I honestly don't know the process for creating a store, but with your profile, you can add/save favorite items and stores, keep track of what you have bought, and leave and receive feedback for past purchases.

Please be aware that scammers DO exist on Etsy; I have been the victim of one in the past!!  These people may resell items claiming they are handmade, or they might take your money and never send the item.  A good idea is to check the seller's feedback for any negative comments, and for the amount of feedback they have (I know this sucks for new shops, but after I got scammed I make it a rule).  If a shop doesn't have a lot of feedback, try Googling them too; sellers on Etsy often have their own store website, or sell through other venues such as eBay.  Another interesting source is Regretsy, which mostly posts ridiculous items people sell on Etsy, but also posts known resellers or scammers, which can be rather enlightening.

Hopefully this is enough for you to get started, if you haven't already.  And if it isn't, I will be posting more information in the future!