Added a cutie to my kitchen collection

Added this cute vintage cookie jar to my collection. Really it's more a vase to hold your kitchen utensils but it's listed as a cookie jar. It wasn't easy to find the sold comps for some reason. Since I couldn't price it myself, I had to show where I got the sold price from. Found $49 plus shipping on eBay. It's not that it's super rare, it's just confirming a sale that was hard. 

Thought it was funny and different. At some point I will sell it off but for now it's display on top of my hutch. Paid $24 which is higher than I would normal pay but I went for it. 
 

Doing a little recon work

MacBeth Depression Glass $2.50

It'a been years since I've shopped at the Home Consignment store. Thought I would stop in and see what they had. The store was so packed with furniture you couldn't even get to most of it. Not sure how they pass a fire inspection. Back in the day it was a good mix of used furniture, from different people. Now most of it is new stuff and it all looks the same. The prices were way over the top IMO but I've not shopped for furniture in a long time.

Since I was out I thought I would check out a Goodwill store I haven't been to in over a year. Every Tuesday is senior discount day and the Willow Glen store was close by. I think GW has lowered their prices. The shelves were a little empty and they didn't have much I was interested in. I did pick a few things (all under $2.50) but nothing super special.

Pyrex - Avocado Green $2.50

Up cycled insulators

It's been an interesting auction week. One item that I was following to see if it would stay in my price range was removed from the auction site. It was an asian-ish style console table. It wasn't getting any bids but I know the heavy hitters would come in at the last minute. I can only guess the seller got nervous it wasn't going to sell for what they think it's worth.  

On Maxsold I did bid on this insulators because I thought they would make interesting plant stands. Back in the day you could get $30 for them, now they're worth nothing. I got these three for just $1. There were more in the auction but I wasn't going to pay any more. I didn't know if they would be level enough for my plants for wasn't going risk it.   If you google them, the prices are very high but around here they're worth nothing. It wasn't really worth me making the short drive over to the warehouse but it's worth chatting and gossiping with the other resellers.  I found out one of the estate liquidator is retiring so whatever she has in storage will be coming up for auction. Overall most resellers are friendly and happy to share information, even if we're bidding on the same things. 

When art speaks to you

Today at the store the gate was left opened. Some repairs were being made so had workers running around outside. A few  donations were dropped off because of that. Since I was there to process anyways, I took the donations. One was from an estate and it was packaged with what I can only guess was stuffing from several pillows. It was a hot mess and filled two garbage bags. There was a lot to process so I didn't really look at the Santa too closely but knew it was a reproduction. It just spoke to me. Wasn't until I got home did I realize that this was a Paul Bollinger Santa! I have several of his originals before he started to mass produce his work. I even had some of the factory samples before they went into production. Would I love to have the original, yes I would but I'm sure it's now out of my price range. Still this was a great find!

When Google or AI doesn't work

Doesn't look big but it is. 

It was interesting today at the store when another volunteer who is very dependent on looking up everything on her phone. She forgot it at home but couldn't go home to get it as she lives up in the hills. The highway (only way to get to her house) was basically closed for maintenance. She had hours to kill but really without her phone couldn't do much. I had always cautioned getting too dependent on using AI or eBay to look up things. You have to be able to sort out the trashy stuff from the good stuff without looking everything up. Yes some things need extra time to get the comps but for the amount of donations the store gets you just have to make the call without your using your phone. 

This leaf sculpture came in (guessing the art department) and it's not something you can easily find online. It was priced at $20 because I'm guessing they couldn't find it online. Because I do auctions, when these  sculptures come up, they sell for $150+. Those are actually sold comps in the real world. I used my store voucher so only paid $10.00. Now I have to decided do I keep for a while or flip it quickly. 

Overcast Mornings are the Best

I love it when it's overcast in the morning. Makes me think I'm down at the beach house. :)  I know at some point the sun will come out so never worry about seasonal depression. Just like I know no matter how hot it gets, once the sun goes down it will cool off. 

The yard gets a lot of bird active which is also very nice. I'm setting up a little bird feeder. Nothing fancy as I don't want to attract any rodents. I was going to set it up for my crows but they haven't been around lately. I would but out the dried worms in hopes they find it but worried about the squirrels finding it first. 

I'm babysitting Posey this week and she really likes her new schedule. 

4:30 Breakfast 

Nap time

7:30 Cardio work at the park for 15 minutes

Nap time

11:30 Dog walker

Nap time

4:00 dinner

6:00 Sniff walk unless no other dogs are at the park.

8:30 Bedtime. 

 

All comfy on the sofa

This is Posey, the resident chocolate lab at my new place. This is her sofa and yes it smells like dog all the time. I made the choice to keep her sofa in my place because it would be the most comfortable for her. Plus my sofa was white which wouldn't work with a dog around. She had major back surgery last year, which most dogs if they survive, aren't able to walk afterwards. It's been a slow process to get her muscles tone back. We joke on getting back her big butt. I take her a very short walks to help strength her back legs and sniff around. In her mind she's still an active 2 year old and wants to run like a crazy dog. If she gets too much exercise she's very sore the next day. On her last vet visit she hasn't lost any weight but her back legs are much stronger and she looks leaner so we take that as a win. 
 

Scrapbook Time

This cute little scrapbook came into the store and it inspired me to fill it for the boys.  Their visits here will be limited now that they started school. Living in Holland they will continue to travel around Europe during the school breaks which is much easier for them.  I can't decided which Carmel photo to use. The blue beach one matches the Hawaii one which I thought was fun but I really like the seagull one too. Which would you pick?

Update: As cute as this book is, it wasn't meant to hold a lot of photos. In the back of my mind I didn't think I could fill it all with photos. Didn't even get a third of the pages (temporarily) done and the book won't close. Back to the old school scrapbooking albums. 

 

Blah Buster

When you wake up feeling "blah" and doubt even a nice warm mug of coffee will perk you up. Then you hear the little knock on your door. 

Posey is an early raiser (like 4:00 am early) much like my Annie. Guess it's a big dog thing. Anyways, she's not let out to the back yard until around 6:00 am. If I'm up she's knocks on the door. She's learned I don't answer if she barks. I get a morning hug and then a request for a treat before she goes back to sleep. She has a bed in my place for this reason. :) 

This afternoon, Posey got in trouble for chewing up a cardboard poster tube. The first thing she did was bolt out the back door and come running into my place with Matt right behind her. We both laughed at Posey thinking coming to me would get her out of trouble. Before her back surgery she was a very active dog. We have to be careful now to not over due her exercise until her back legs get back all the muscle massive she lost. She also over weight, again from the surgery preventing her from getting any exercise for months. Knowing excessive chewing up things is a sign of way too much energy, I took her for a short walk. There's a lovely grassy park around the corner and during the week very few people or dogs there. I'm also working on her recall, so she will come to me when I call. I have to be 100% sure she will come to me before letting off her leash around other dogs. It's mainly to make sure she doesn't damaged her back again rough housing with other dogs. She does have a dog walker coming 3 times a week but sometimes she just needs a little more sniffing time. 

Working Through My Stash

 Since I had all my beads and card making stuff still out, I made this card. Last year while down at the Carmel house, I worked on some new ideas. This basket with daisies was one of them. I just remember it wasn't easy, not sure why but that's the memory I have. Decided it was silly to keep the basket in my stash since I'm not ever going to teach this one. Off to my card rack at Cottage Crafts. 

Tomatoes of 2025

My Ace hardware tomato plant. Much healthier than the little seedlings that were donated to the thrift store. I think it's a yellow cherry tomato variety but not 100% sure. It was the only one left and very root bound. 

Update: With all the super hot weather and me forgetting to water for just one day, my little thrift store seedlings didn't make. They never looked like they were getting any bigger so I wasn't surprised at all. 

Gardening in full swing!

The backyard has been neglected for years. It once had a nice lawn area but now just weeds and compact dirt. I was going to pull all the weeds by hand but that is just a back breaking task. Something had to be done with all weeds as picking up after Posey is an Easter egg hunt everyday. Not a fun surprise anyone.

I decided why not try and use the push mower stored in the back.  Even with the dull blades it turned out pretty good. I may keep the weeds trimmed short so there's some sort of green ground covering to keep the dust down and  see be able to see Posey's business. There are future plans to redo the backyard but I don't see that happening any time soon.

It was a day of a lot of errands before it got too hot.  One of them was to return some things to Ace Hardware. I'm way past the 30 day return policy by several months so really didn't have any hopes of getting a credit. The first one I went was nice to explain that not all Ace stores carry the same things. If they don't carry it, they wouldn't have the shelf space for it, especially since I got them down while in Carmel in December. They suggested I try another store. Went to the one in Saratoga and when he said no, I said well I'll donate it to your store. I don't want my grandsons to find it my garage 20 years from now wondering why I never used it. :) He said if I could find something for $9.99, he'll do a trade. I picked out some very sad looking tomato and pepper plants. Since he was nice enough to do a trade, I thought why not trade for something he was going to have to throw out in a few day anyways. Hopefully I can get them to grow!

Cards and More Cards Plus Bananas

Since I have a lot of parts left over from my beading class, I decided to make more cards for my card rack. It's not like I need to restock or anything. Handmade cards aren't a big seller at Cottage Crafts with so many other people selling cards. Still it would be nice to refresh my rack with some new stuff. The other plus side is not having to store the class leftovers. At my new place I have the space to spread out which is both good and bad. My work surface is a hot mess but as I tell myself, it's my hot mess. :)  

After cleaning out the garage over the weekend there was a box of paper work that had to get shredded. Since Red Dog (paper shredding company) is in the same shopping center as Cottage Crafts, I added it to my to do list. In the morning, I was just thinking I was getting low on my frozen banana stash for my smoothies.  I don't see my banana dealer anymore at the store as I don't volunteer on the day she comes in. :( As I went to pay for my box to be shredded, there was a case of very ripe bananas (banana bread ripe) next to the counter. I asked about it and he said please take the whole box. I shared it with the people at cottage crafts and now I have a freezer full again! Wonder if I wish for a beach house I'll find that too! :) 

Saying Good Bye

The last of my things from the Carmel house came home this weekend. Since I've spent the last several Christmas at the beach house, I've left my Christmas stands there. Now I have to turn in my keys which I've had for over 30+ years. Very sad day for me to let go of the one key that's been on my key ring the longest. I hope when they say "when one door closes, a window opens" is true.  

Water Color Crayons

As a crafter, I pick up supplies all the time. Collecting is the fun part for me. :).  I'm a fan of Tim Holtz but I didn't get his water color crayons when they were first released. I'm guessing a lot of other people didn't either as it didn't last very long on market. When I saw these off brand in the ZZ booth at Cottage Crafts for $2 I picked them up. I know they work well if you do collages and alter art from what I've seen on the Frugal Crafter videos.

When will I use them? Will I ever use them? Only time will tell.

When you've been around the block a few times.

Not sure if you can see the purple tinge to this vintage toothpick holder. Getting an accurate photo with clear glass isn't easy. I went dumpster diving this morning in the "go away" bins at the store. The Hope truck hadn't picked up yet so it was my lucky day. I spotted the purple tinge on this glass and when I picked it up felt the weight. I knew it was a winner! Not sure why it was in the go away bin, but the sorters on intake days are new. They don't always know if something old is worth keeping. When I got home I checked it with my UV light and yes it glowed. 

To return or not to return

 

I'm of the generation that takes something back I didn't like or didn't use, even low dollar items.  I've noticed the younger generation just can't be bothered to do returns for low dollar value things. Way back in December when the boys were here, we had to replace some worn out wheels on the shower doors. Not sure what would fit being everything was so old, we got a few sizes. The parts we didn't use have been riding around in my car ever since. Don't ask me why it took me so long to do the returns. Went to Home Depot today and the part only cost $3.50. Because of the length of time I could only get store credit. Knowing if I left the store without getting anything, I would never use the credit. Thought maybe getting a small house plant. There were none that didn't come in a fancy vase with a price tag to match.  Since I have a lot of pots already all over my yard, I just wanted one I could replant. The violets were the only plain packaged plant for $6.99. The best part was that after I used my store credit I threw away the credit card. I count that as a major victory!  Back in the day I would have tossed it into my purse for some unknown reason. Now on to ACE hardware which has a much more strict return policy. 

When to walk away

Some of the things I'm bidding on for this week. 

Not 100% sure this is an original because this artist, Curt Walters licensed this image out. From the estate it's coming from it could be but I'm going with it's a good copy. Either way I would like to add it to my art wall. Update: Didn't win the painting and from the final sale price sure hope it was  the real thing. 

The second thing I bid on but not going to win is this pyrex set. Only reason I bid on it was to get the blue bowl which

is one of the hardest one to find. Last week at this same seller's auction I got the other three bowls. Now I'm wondering if they purposely took the blue bowl out of the set knowing whoever got the first lot last week would pay up to complete the set. As a reseller it's now out of profit range so I have to pass. They are getting more for splitting up the set but still thinks it's a little shady.  So I have to pivot and sell off the bowls I have individually.  

 

Who buys these things?

The other day I pulled this from the "go away" box at the store. The go away box are things we don't think we can sell at the store. The crafter in me thought someone could use it to melt wax. After reading the directions it's a no, no but I still think you could. :) The reseller part of me checked the comps and made sure it worked. I was pretty surprised the sold comps were around $20+. Makes me wonder why? It's headed over to Cottage Crafts in the morning. 

Old Dog Learning Something New

Ms. Posey now refuses her Kong ball filled with peanut butter after getting her taste of the famous dried fish. I also think it takes too much effort for her to get the peanut butter out of ball. Either way, Posey will bark at my door until I let her in. She's learning that if she wants a treat from me, she has to be quiet for 15 minutes. She was barking so loud and for so long that it trigger my Apple Watch to excessive noise. She is getting the idea and some days there's not a lot of barking. 

 

Watercolor coloring with Distress Inks

 

I always thinks I'm going to get all those side art projects done while I'm dog sitting.  Now that my art supplies are in one spot and more importably I can find them when I need them, no more excuses! It only takes me a few minutes to pull everything together. 

I've been wanting to try watercoloring with Tim Holtz distress inks. I'm a big fan of his videos because he goes in depth about the development of his product line and what you can do with it. I don't know how old my ink pads are but it's been that long since I purchased any. Have to say they're all still inky.  I'm also doing what the Frugal Crafter (another favorite) has suggested. Stamping in a lighter ink or water soluble ink if painting free hand isn't your thing. You have an outline to follow. Using a stamping platform (Tim Holtz's is the best) makes adding the outlines back in if that's what you want super easy.

Some of the inks are bright enough so I added some really watercolor paint. I've had this palette for years too!

Dried Fish Back In The House.

Finally was able to dry some fish for my furry friends.  It's been on to do list for a long time. This batch took days to dry. almost 30 hours.  

I know food prices are going up but the price for capelin has doubled and I'm not sure the stores will be getting any more. I brought the last two bags the store had. Use to have a freezer full.

Posey (the resident chocolate lab) loves them so much she'll bark at my door until I answer and give her fish snack. Of course she likes to snack no matter what but she really likes the dried fish. I'm going to pick up some carrots for her but I'm sure she's going to give me the evil eye about eating too healthy. :) 
 

Fast Sell Through Rate Goal

I did an MaxSold auction pick up on Sunday. They had a hard time finding my items (3 pyrex bowls) so I was chatting with all the people waiting in line. One woman purchased a lot of dishes and bowls. She was surprised how small the bowls were so that told me she wasn't a reseller. She did flip them on the spot as the bowls she didn't like was part of the set someone else wanted. Buying and selling at the auction is a big no, no, but she didn't know that. 

She asked for help to load her boxes into her car as she had a bad back. Not sure what she would have done if no one was there to help her. The auction makes it clear they will not help you load your car. Since I was waiting for my items, I helped her out. She also got this lamp ($2.00) which Im guessing she really didn't want but just went crazy bidding. She gave it to me to haul away. 

It's missing the glass chimney insert so I switch the light bulb to a candle shaped one. It actually looks good on my tansu cabinet but I posted it for sale. I really don't need another lamp. 

I posted it for $10 on Facebook market place and my phone blew up. Yes, I probably could have gotten more for it but it's 100% profit and it's out of the house in record time. This is what a fast sell through rate is all about.  :)

Mini Bead Class Sign Ups Now Open

It's now official - my mini bead class is open for sign ups. There will be 3 cards (poster only shows 2) but you can make as many cupcakes and ladybugs you want in the 2 hours we have in class. Some easy stamping will be included.

I had to search for more red seed beads for the lady bugs, which wasn't easy. There aren't too many craft stores around anymore and not being a beader, I don't know enough of the lingo to order online. 

If you're interested go to FabMo's website to sign up. 100% of the class fee goes to FabMo. Hope to see you there!

Would You Risk It?

 

Would you risk it? 

We had a discuss at the store about buying to resell. It's easy to price things at the thrift store since there's no risk to our bank accounts. Maybe not making as much as we could but we have no skin in the game. I was showing the picture of the $1 vase lot I got at auction last week. Then telling them five of the vases were worth some serious money. They said they couldn't deal with the stress of making the wrong choice. Gaining experience from making many, many mistakes as a reseller, I don't have to depend on AI or Google.

It was interesting that some antique cast iron irons came in that same day. Very cool but I said not very collectible anymore. Just because they're old doesn't mean they have any resell value. Before they looked up everything I told them what I would price them at as a reseller. I was right on the money. It helped prove my point that sometimes experience pays off. 

So why the picture. I saw the redish bowl in the back and I think it's a small red pyrex bowl. One of the hardest one to find, (blue being the other one) in good condition. The casserole dishes aren't worth anything. I did notice they didn't show the bottoms of any of them so I'm risking that they're all are pyrex. Paid $8 for the lot. Wish me luck!

Update: It wasn't a cherry red but a burnt orange pyrex bowl called Orange Flameglo. It's a color I've never seen before so it's win as far as being unique. I'm guessing it wasn't a popular color back in the day so the resell value isn't as high. 

On A Whim - fast sell through

Sur La Table Piggies

I went to another private estate sale on Friday. I had made an offer on a few things and went to pick them up. I saw these pig bowls and on a whim  brought them because I thought they were funny. Another reseller (she buys a lot) had already grab all the good stuff so I just did a quick look around. Parking was an issue and I didn't want my car to get towed away. I took them right to Cottage Crafts and I didn't even have to tag them. Another crafter brought them as soon as I pulled them out of the box. I doubled my money in less than 30 minutes. I didn't pay a lot for the piggy bowls but I'll take a fast sell through anytime. 

Experience Pays Off - card making 101

Working on my May 25 card class for FabMo. One of the things I have to keep in mind is what can be done in 2 hours. That is one of the major mistakes new teachers make. 

 While I was making this ladybug card the flowers stamp and die cut took me forever to line up correctly. Knowing if it was taking me a long time, it would be impossible to do in class. I could pre stamp all the flowers but that would take part of the creative process away from the students. Since I had to remake the card (first draft had design issues) I decided to make a template so the flower die cut was in the correct position to stamp. Stamps are already lined up on the stamping platform for a perfect fit. You still can choose what color you wanted but didn't have to figure out was what the top or bottom. This is something card makers do if they're making a lot of the same thing.

 

New to me Tansu

I was so excited when this tansu cabinet came up for auction. I needed a certain size for this space. The height was right but the width wasn't. They measured the top part (32") but the base adds another 1/2" and I didn't think about how much the base board would add.It was a double whammy of not measuring correctly. Still love it even if it doesn't fit into the space I wanted it to go. 

One of the bonuses of my new place is I have a full size attic.  Not ever having one before, it's been a game change. No more having to rent a storage unit to storage my holiday decoration and craft supplies. My big bulky winter coats which rarely get used don't take up my closet space any more. It does make me wonder why I have so many winter coats. :) 
 

Simple Daisy Card

I'm doing a class for FabMo this month (May 25) and not knowing how fast the ladies will be, I added a third card. This one is very simple and only uses one little bead. I had most of this card kitted up so it was easy to pull together. 

I'm finally going through all my craft supplies and kits. Many have been boxed up for ages. Amazing after all the purges I've done in the past few years I still have a lot of stuff. :) 

Copic Markers - brown and green

Mini daisy punch - unknown 

Flower pot die - I think from a Hero Arts set

Border stamp - unknown

Tim Holtz Oxide Ink -  picked raspberry 

Blending brush

Stamping Up - stem stamp from 2006

Aqua glue and double sized tape

Not pictured

Tim Holtz stamping platform - it's the best IMO

Tim Holtz sidekick - didn't want to like it but I love it! 

 

Up coming card class - May 25, 2025

Getting back to teaching workshops at FabMo. Now that my craft supplies are all in one place and more importantly I know where almost of everything is! I'm still organizing and cleaning up my supplies but I think that will always be an on going thing. 

Working on making samples so photos can be taken and posted. First workshop up is the mini bead card class. At some point I took apart the bead kit I had for this class. I wanted to work on new designs while I was down at the Carmel house. Basically I'm starting from scratch but I know I have all the parts. It's also nice that I have the space to spread out a little more so I can be working on several projects at the same time.  

Perfect fit - Avon bottle

 I know in the reselling world anything Avon isn't a thing. I do think someday it will be but for now it's not. 

I've been looking for a dish soap dispenser for a while now. I wash all my dishes by hand, mainly because I either didn't have a dishwasher or because being single it takes too long to fill a dishwasher.  Even before the pandemic I was a big hand washer. I think that was one reason I rarely get sick but mainly I can't handle of a sink full of dirty dishes. 

This Avon asparagus bottle came in and I just had to get it. I picked up some fresh asparagus at Costco this week, so I've been eating it for days. I'm not sure what originally came in the bottle but it's now next to my kitchen sink.  It was just meant to be! :) 

Life of a reseller 2025

I went a little over board at the last private estate sale. This is an invitation only sale, not advertised to the general public. The house was small and there wasn't a lot of good stuff overall. What was good was snatched up by another reseller who either got there early or made an offer after we all got the email and photos. I did get the small tansu sewing box for $40 even with all the damage. It's a little higher than I wanted to pay but the reason we get invited to these sale is we don't haggle, it's a yes or no. She did give me a break on some of the smalls (sorry no pics) so over all I'm happy. Hopefully I'll be able to flip it. Priced at $75 and now at Cottage Crafts. 

I did spend a little more than I wanted to on the tansu cabinet ($211) but I did have a hard stop price  of $220. To find a cabinet the right size and style I wanted, I went for it. 

I thought I would show the three other lots I got at that same auction.  These are "junk" lots so I don't bid very much on them. There is the vase lot I paid only a $1 for. Most of the vases will get donated away but three look like I can flip for at least $10 - $15 each. Even if only one of them is good, I will make a good profit. The pitcher lot I went a little higher but it still breaks down to $1 for each one. I can easily flip all of them for $5 if not more. Not sure why the single big vase didn't go for more  ($5) but I'm sure I can flip it for $20. I go for the fast sale even if the profit is small. Waiting for the big pay out, I'd end up with a warehouse full of stuff!  So this is the life of a reseller. 

 

Private Estate Sale

A semi private estate sale is happening this week. Not sure how many people are on the guest list but I'm going to this one. I haven't gone to many of them because I usually don't see anything good. At this sale I spotted this vintage sewing tansu box. A few months ago one came into the store in much better shape and it did sell for $175.00. This one looks to be in rough shape but I made an offer because it's a rather rare and interesting thing. Hopefully after I get to see it in person it will come home with me. 

Will this tansu come home with me?

I'm in search for a very specific size cabinet for my bedroom area. Knowing that what I want is out there somewhere, I just have to be patience. It's a narrow space so can't be too wide and it can't be too tall. Also it has to be a style I like and in my price range. That's a whole lot of requirements when you write it all down. :)

I found this tansu cabinet on Maxsold, an online auction I buy a lot from. Normally I place my bids and forget about it but this one I will follow until the bidding is close next week. It's the prefect size and a style I like. Now I just have to see if it stay within my budget. Fingers crossed.
 Update: Got for $211.00 plus auction fees.

Unique Display Case for Thimbals

One of advantage of having a friend who's a reseller is that they will find what you didn't know you needed. :) 

My good friend Patty (the baby quilt maker) collects sewing thimbals. She's always looking for ways to display them. Her one requirement has been it has to be an enclosed case to keep them dust free. Two came into the store and I quickly snap photos to send to her. I knew she wouldn't want the thimbles (this donor was a royal family fan) but the circle frame would be a hit. The interesting part for me was what was holding the timbals in the frame. We think it's for rings so the search is on to find a source for that. 
 

Apple watch did it's job!

This morning I tackled organizing all the boxes up in the attic. I also took up several more boxes by myself which was scary. I made sure to have my Apple watch on just in case. It was a bit unnerving going up stairs with no hand rails and being rather steep. That all went well. 

I also decided to drag out one of my tables from the garage to take pictures so I can sell it. Everything was going good until I decided to also pull out the shop vac. There was a huge pile of dog hair around the dryer in the main house so I thought I would clean it up. I was multitasking doing laundry at the same time.  The garage is a hot mess and I caught my foot on something and hit the ground hard enough to set my watch off. That was the reason I got the watch so I'm glad it worked!  Just skinned my knee but I'm sure I'll be sore in the morning if not from the fall but all the stair climbing.

Coffee Beans

 For someone who doesn't really like coffee having a coffee bar seems a bit silly. Having a full size Keurig is way too big for a single person but I have a lot of pods left over from the Carmel house. Once I use up the pods, I plan to sell off the machine. Today another volunteer came in with a bag full of coffee beans. She can't handle the acidity anymore so gave away her stash. It's a blend of Peet's dark roast (my favorite) and decaf. I do prefer doing the pour over method because it's smells better and takes up less space. So my coffee drinking will continue for several more months.  :) 

Unpacking and tagging fatigue

 It's been a solid month of non stop packing, unpacking and tagging all the things I have to sell off. I finally hit the wall. The stack of boxes is slowly getting smaller and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I would like to work on the garden but I have to get my living space in order. Last night I went around all the piles I have out and started to fill a "go away" bag. If it's to hard to sell and tag it's going in the donation bag. 

This time it fit into my car. 

This past weekend I sold off over 80 pounds of legos for $100. Far under that actual market value and taking a $200 loss. I originally got them for the boys so now I have no need for them. Getting some of my money back is better storing them. I could have held out for more money but I wanted those big tubs out of my space. This is how resellers end up with storage units full of stuff, waiting for that one buyer who will pay top dollar. It's like waiting for a unicorn. :) 

A major milestone was completed yesterday! The boxes were moved up to the attic. I had to be able to lift the boxes above my shoulder to hand them up the ladder to Matt (my landlord) that meant I had to repack some of the bigger tubs into something smaller. Knowing that the boxes were going to be moved I drove down to Morgan Hill to pick up my bench. The owner of Stitch Up (needlework store) was kind enough to use my bench as a display piece. I could pick it up whenever I had the space for it. So 2 years later it came home. :)

Can't always trust what you find online.

 

At the store we have the discussion about being totally dependent on using Google lens or any online listings (eBay, Etsy) to figure out the value of something. This is what got the last volunteer in charge of the department in hot water. Just finding a photo of something doesn't mean it's correct. Not knowing if what you're looking at is a reproduction or not makes a difference on price.  This vase came in and it was tagged super high IMO.  The volunteer said it was vintage because she looked it up. I said it's still being made and I have found several to resell so it's not that unique. I'm lucky if I can get $5 for them. Just because someone lists it as vintage (which it could be for that seller) doesn't mean it is. So we again had the discussion on being too dependent on what we can find online and trusting AI. Nothing pisses off customers more than have over priced things at a thrift store. 

Don't even get me started on Japanese dolls and Imari platters. When you live in an area with a big Asian population there isn't a big market for these things. Maybe somewhere else in the country or online but in our area it will just sit and collect dust. 

Yes, more cookbooks.

 

Everyday the book section at HD purges books that haven't sold. From the volume of books the store gets they have to do this everyday. On Monday (the day I volunteer) the cookbooks were being purged and heading off to Hope bin. Do I need anymore, no I don't. I plan to skim through them and then deposit them in the little book library a few house down from me. I specificlly wanted the American Test Kitchen book but I also thought the Handheld pie book looked fun. Not that I can eat the pie crust but they also include jar pies which basically just pie filling - I can handle that! I had just sorted out all my baking pans because my place doesn't have an oven. Not sure on how big my table top oven will be but I really don't need multiple sets of everything especially all the pans and cupcake tins that came back from the Carmel house.