Nothing is as satisfying as receiving mail. I occasionally get letters, postcards appear sporadically, but online shopping deliveries are a frequent arrival in my mail box - possibly a little too frequently for my bank account to successfully cope with but let's not focus on that right now. I'm a huge fan of ebay and a regular ASOS customer but recently it's Etsy, a diverse marketplace selling everything from greetings cards to swimwear, that my heart belongs to.
Etsy is where beautiful and ridiculous dreams are made - literally handmade, by creative brilliant people who seem to know what every person wants before they know it themselves. I have lost entire afternoons and evenings to this website because it's simply not possible to escape a search engine circle.
For example, I typed in my current TV obsession Parks and Recreation and found these:
www.etsy.com/shop/thelordoftheearrings
Quite frankly, my ears feel naked without them.
Obviously, the next logical search to type in would be one that combined two of my favourite things, vintage travel posters and Harry Potter.
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheSeventhArtShop
They actually exist. I could have these hanging on my walls in a matter of days, and my life would be complete.
I always end these Etsy sessions with a broad search of 'the 1940s', a decade which is close to my heart (see www.thespitfiresisters.co.uk and twitter.com/spitfiresisters). The results are endless and totally absorbing. A few of my current favourites:
This amazing '40s coffee pot.
www.etsy.com/shop/theoldtimejunkshop
A 1940s pie dish - I have no idea how to cook but I'd give it a good old go if I had this to cook with.
I can't recommend exploring Etsy enough. Get involved. Find some much needed television based accessories or a lovingly refurbished vintage tea set, and look forward to something exciting arriving in your mail box.