Whoa! What a day. I tried my hand at barista-ing again after a few month hiatus at Coffee By Design on Washington Ave. today. There’s really nothing like a short shift in a customer service position in a neighborhood of people you think are great. Today I talked to Colleen from Silly’s, Ernie, my landlord, Tiff, Marnie of Red Eye Vintage, Jan from WMPG’s “Local Motives” and so many more. Then I walked down Congress St. for the East End Stroll stopping off, getting stamps, spending little bits of money that were easy to part with and finally entering my raffle in the box at the Yoga Studio at 72 India St.
My window shopping/under $5 spending afternoon got me to thinking about another really easy way to give. Spend $4 or less on someone you love!
Here are some ideas:
At the coffee shop, people were treating each other left and right to coffees. Ask a friend to meet you at your favorite cafe and when it’s time to order, foot the bill! Better yet, if you know a friend’s favorite drinks (Kate loves mochas, Jason loves red eyes, etc.) then on your way to see them, pick one up!
Needle Felted Wool Star Baby Sula by moondogfarms. Click to view Etsy listing!
I landed at the Portland Fiber Gallery on my roundabout walk back home, and for under $5 you can get an ounce of wool and a felting needle. The woman there was so helpful and didn’t make fun of me at all when I kept on liking wools that were not good for felting. Woops! She showed me a good one and I think I’m going to try my hand at making a snowball. If I do alright, I might make a snowman. So if you have a crafty friend who has never tried it before, what a nice way to say: “Here…make something for me!” 😉
Little Eye pins custom made for Metal Feathers (band). Click to view all pin listings at my Etsy shop!
PINS!! I bought one at Ferdinand for $.50 and felt so good giving Diane my money and at the same time being able to put something cool on my sweater. It’s so much fun to root through pin baskets in stores and at craft fairs to find pieces that are perfect for people you didn’t even know you wanted to give a little gift to! Even better that pins are normally under $4 unless they’re a brooch, in which case it’s totally fine to spend more, because they are so classy.
There have to be a thousand ways to show someone you were thinking of them without breaking the bank. Which is good, because just a week after Christmas and it will be *dun Dun DUN!* tax time!
Little Eye Designs 