Thursday, June 30, 2011
Remembering Luther
Everyone has their favorite musician or artist. Perhaps because it reminds them of their younger days growing up, or their courtship with their special someone. Maybe they just like the style of music. That's how I feel about Luther Vandross.
I love the music of Luther Vandross but I think that the moment I fell in love with his voice was in 1981 when he sang his version of Dionne Warwik's hit "A House Is Not A Home" at the NAACP Awards Show. Oh my goodness! I got goosebumps all over. From then on, I bought every album (at the time we had albums) and later CD's.
I loved the fact that his music was fun! He had such a distinctive voice. There was no mistaking him when you heard it. I could tell he loved what he did. He came across as such a real person, not at all with that celebrity ego. I was lucky enough to go to 2 of his concerts. I will always remember those good times. Every moment was filled with great music! There isn't a song that he sang that I didn't like.
I watched as his weight yo-yo'd up and down. I loved him at his heaviest and at his thinnest. Through all the ups and downs of his weight, his voice remained strong. I heard him on a talk show speak of how his dad had died from diabetes and how he wanted to be healthier. That was around 1986. He was thin during that interview and over time, he gained and lost alot of weight many more times.
In 2003, I heard the news that Luther Vandross had suffered a stroke. I was sad but not surprised. I didn't know however, how serious that stroke would turn out to be. He was in a coma nearly 3 months and developed pneumonia and had to undergo a tracheotomy. He came out of the coma in June and over the next couple years, there was really no major changes. At the 2004 Grammy Awards he was given the Song of the Year award and made a videotaped speech. In it he said "Whenever I say goodbye it's never for long because I believe in the Power of Love." I remember watching and thinking how sad that such a talented man with so much life ahead of him was stopped in his tracks. How hard it must be to not be able to do what you love so much. I hoped that he would one day be back in the studio recording new songs.
On July 1, 2005 however, I remember waking up to a typical Friday morning. It was summer and everyone in the house was home on vacation. I was cleaning and turned on the TV. The news said Luther Vandross had died. What? It can't be? Must be a mistake! I ran to the computer and logged onto the internet to confirm. It was true. My favorite artist, Luther Ronzoni Vandross had died from complications from his stroke. He was only 54 years old. My heart was sad as if I had lost a member of my own family. I cried feeling silly but not really caring. My family knew how much I loved his music. I went grocery shopping that day and wanted to go alone so I could play Luther in the car as loud as I wanted. I took my time so I could just listen to his music. Today, I will play Luther Vandross' music all day and remember the joy and love this man gave to me and all the rest of his fans.
Thank you Luther and Rest in Peace!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Garage Sale Tips
I have been doing EBAY for about 3 years now and when I started, I didn't know anything about anything. Over time, however, I have learned and really enjoy doing what I do and sharing it with others. I get joy out of seeing others make money from things they were going to throw out because they thought it was just junk.
Most of what I have learned is just by shopping myself at garage and estate sales. I know what I am looking for and why and I listen to what others are looking for. I see what estate sale companies charge for items and how people will pay the prices even though they might be marked too high for my purpose. I also see garage sales where no one is buying because the prices are too high. My motto is better to sell many things at lower prices than to sell a couple things at higher prices.
When planning to clean out a garage, house or storage area, the first thing to do in order not to get so overwhelmed is to take one area at a time. This could be a room at a time or a box at a time. Sometimes people look at the whole picture and this becomes overwhelming especially if there is an accumulation of stuff.
If you are helping someone who needs to downsize or just clean up their belongings, the first thing to remember is that people form emotional attachments to their stuff and getting rid of things is extremely hard for them. I tell people to take it slow and be patient.
Make 3 groups: Things to keep, things to get rid of, and things to throw away. Starting with these 3 groups is easy as there are only those choices when starting out. Don't worry if the keep pile seems too large. We'll work on that later.
Remember, only a section at a time. For example let's say you want to clean out the garage and there are years and years of accumulation. Start by taking one side of the garage and start pulling a box, bag or container at a time. Make the groups mentioned above. Continue to make your way through the garage staying in a pattern until you are finished going through everything. Many times people go back and forth from one area to another and back again never making any progress. Once you are done going through everything, start working on your piles. The trash pile can easily be thrown away and now you are down to 2 piles. The pile to get rid of needs to be looked at carefully. Any fine china, glass, vintage appliances, cookware and clothing should be put aside to check on EBAY. Anything else like souvineer kitchenware, glassware, knick nacks etc., can be put aside for a yard sale pricing.
Once you've gone though the "get rid of" pile, you may now have 3 piles. 1. Keep 2. Yard Sale and 3. EBAY. Now you want to start pricing your Yard Sale items. Get some prices stickers. (these can be picked up at the Dollar Store). Keep in mind when pricing that whatever price you put on an item, buyers will always want a cheaper price. In order to be able to negotiate, think of the lowest price you are willing to take for an item and price up from there. That leaves you room for hagglers. Usually when pricing glassware I start at .75 to $1.00. Pots and pans in decent condition with lids anywhere from $3-$5. Appliances can go for $3-$5. Remember to make sure any electrical items work. Keep an extension cord handy so buyers can test items. Try to keep like items together. Clothes can be priced .50 to 1.00 and usually people like digging through clothes dumped on a tarp on the ground. Nothing fancy. Larger furniture and appliances should be placed in front and off to the side as this is what attracts customers. Bikes is another hot item.
The night before the sale, get all the items to sell and put in one area so in the morning, everything is in one place. If possible and ensuring you'll have help the next morning, put things on the tables so all that needs to be done in the morning is to pull the table out to the driveway or yard. This takes some of the morning rush away. If you are putting signs up prior to your sale, this would be the time to do it. Make sure there won't be any dampness overnight. We've put up signs at night and in the morning, found they were all damp and curled up overnight which made them useless.
Hopefully, once the money starts coming in, the desire to sell more will be so great that the pile of items to keep will get smaller as items will start to get pulled from there to put out for sale. If not, don't worry. Let some time pass and then re-visit this pile to see if with time, some of the items can be let go. If there is a need for another yard sale, these items can be put out next time. If no more yard sales are needed, take the unsold items and donate to your local thrift shop.
Make sure to get plenty of change prior to the sale. People will want to buy $1 item and pay with a $20. I usually get about $60 in change. Have plenty of $1's and $5's and enough coins to make change throughout the day. You don't want to miss sales because you can't give change.
The most important thing to any successful yard sale is advertising. These are the best ways to advertise.
Craigslist is an excellent way to advertise. Post your ad with some examples of items for sale. Include address, directions, cross streets and time of sale. Try to avoid words that are meant to attract but sometimes end up being putoffs like, Gigantic sale and Huge sale. From experience, the sales that state these end up being duds with a few items. With Craigslist, you need to post it a few days before the sale, repost the evening before the sale and again the morning of. Alot of people map their routes a few days before the week-end to ensure they are making the most of their time. You want to make sure your ad is seen over and over.
Signs: Get large poster board and create signs. Flourescent colored signs are fine as long and the writing is visible from a passing car. Sometimes these signs are hard to read. Make the signs clear with address and arrows. Post at major intersections around your home and at entrance streets leading to your home. Make sure you are posting in both directions to capture more people. VERY IMPORTANT: Take your signs down at the end of the sale.
Email your family and friends to let them know you are having a sale. Sometimes these are your best customers. Maybe others have things to sell and would want to join in on your sale that day.
Most of all have fun!
Here are some of the pics from a recent yard sale. My husband and cousins were having silly fun with some of the items for sale. My aunt had some wigs to sell and they thought it would be fun to try them on. Don't underestimate what folks will buy.
Most of what I have learned is just by shopping myself at garage and estate sales. I know what I am looking for and why and I listen to what others are looking for. I see what estate sale companies charge for items and how people will pay the prices even though they might be marked too high for my purpose. I also see garage sales where no one is buying because the prices are too high. My motto is better to sell many things at lower prices than to sell a couple things at higher prices.
When planning to clean out a garage, house or storage area, the first thing to do in order not to get so overwhelmed is to take one area at a time. This could be a room at a time or a box at a time. Sometimes people look at the whole picture and this becomes overwhelming especially if there is an accumulation of stuff.
If you are helping someone who needs to downsize or just clean up their belongings, the first thing to remember is that people form emotional attachments to their stuff and getting rid of things is extremely hard for them. I tell people to take it slow and be patient.
Make 3 groups: Things to keep, things to get rid of, and things to throw away. Starting with these 3 groups is easy as there are only those choices when starting out. Don't worry if the keep pile seems too large. We'll work on that later.
Remember, only a section at a time. For example let's say you want to clean out the garage and there are years and years of accumulation. Start by taking one side of the garage and start pulling a box, bag or container at a time. Make the groups mentioned above. Continue to make your way through the garage staying in a pattern until you are finished going through everything. Many times people go back and forth from one area to another and back again never making any progress. Once you are done going through everything, start working on your piles. The trash pile can easily be thrown away and now you are down to 2 piles. The pile to get rid of needs to be looked at carefully. Any fine china, glass, vintage appliances, cookware and clothing should be put aside to check on EBAY. Anything else like souvineer kitchenware, glassware, knick nacks etc., can be put aside for a yard sale pricing.
Once you've gone though the "get rid of" pile, you may now have 3 piles. 1. Keep 2. Yard Sale and 3. EBAY. Now you want to start pricing your Yard Sale items. Get some prices stickers. (these can be picked up at the Dollar Store). Keep in mind when pricing that whatever price you put on an item, buyers will always want a cheaper price. In order to be able to negotiate, think of the lowest price you are willing to take for an item and price up from there. That leaves you room for hagglers. Usually when pricing glassware I start at .75 to $1.00. Pots and pans in decent condition with lids anywhere from $3-$5. Appliances can go for $3-$5. Remember to make sure any electrical items work. Keep an extension cord handy so buyers can test items. Try to keep like items together. Clothes can be priced .50 to 1.00 and usually people like digging through clothes dumped on a tarp on the ground. Nothing fancy. Larger furniture and appliances should be placed in front and off to the side as this is what attracts customers. Bikes is another hot item.
The night before the sale, get all the items to sell and put in one area so in the morning, everything is in one place. If possible and ensuring you'll have help the next morning, put things on the tables so all that needs to be done in the morning is to pull the table out to the driveway or yard. This takes some of the morning rush away. If you are putting signs up prior to your sale, this would be the time to do it. Make sure there won't be any dampness overnight. We've put up signs at night and in the morning, found they were all damp and curled up overnight which made them useless.
Hopefully, once the money starts coming in, the desire to sell more will be so great that the pile of items to keep will get smaller as items will start to get pulled from there to put out for sale. If not, don't worry. Let some time pass and then re-visit this pile to see if with time, some of the items can be let go. If there is a need for another yard sale, these items can be put out next time. If no more yard sales are needed, take the unsold items and donate to your local thrift shop.
Make sure to get plenty of change prior to the sale. People will want to buy $1 item and pay with a $20. I usually get about $60 in change. Have plenty of $1's and $5's and enough coins to make change throughout the day. You don't want to miss sales because you can't give change.
The most important thing to any successful yard sale is advertising. These are the best ways to advertise.
Craigslist is an excellent way to advertise. Post your ad with some examples of items for sale. Include address, directions, cross streets and time of sale. Try to avoid words that are meant to attract but sometimes end up being putoffs like, Gigantic sale and Huge sale. From experience, the sales that state these end up being duds with a few items. With Craigslist, you need to post it a few days before the sale, repost the evening before the sale and again the morning of. Alot of people map their routes a few days before the week-end to ensure they are making the most of their time. You want to make sure your ad is seen over and over.
Signs: Get large poster board and create signs. Flourescent colored signs are fine as long and the writing is visible from a passing car. Sometimes these signs are hard to read. Make the signs clear with address and arrows. Post at major intersections around your home and at entrance streets leading to your home. Make sure you are posting in both directions to capture more people. VERY IMPORTANT: Take your signs down at the end of the sale.
Email your family and friends to let them know you are having a sale. Sometimes these are your best customers. Maybe others have things to sell and would want to join in on your sale that day.
Most of all have fun!
Here are some of the pics from a recent yard sale. My husband and cousins were having silly fun with some of the items for sale. My aunt had some wigs to sell and they thought it would be fun to try them on. Don't underestimate what folks will buy.
801-823-2023
This is the number that came up on my Caller ID today, Sunday at 2:30 pm. I looked it up on Google as it rang to see who it would be. I realized it was a company doing surveys so I quickly answered it. The caller asked for the adult in the house and stated she was from a company wanting to speak to me about issues in my area. I told her I wasn't interested and asked her if she could please take my number off of her list and her reply before hanging up was "No". I thought this was funny as I have never been told no before. I tried calling back but I just get a busy signal.
Just thought I'd share!
Just thought I'd share!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Couponing in So Cal
I watch the show (which is too extreme for me) and I know there are ways to save money on groceries with coupons but for the life of me, I can't seem to save alot. I clip coupons every week (4 sets of coupons from neighbors and family) and keep them in a binder. I find that if I can see them at a glance, I will use them more than keeping them in a file somewhere. The ads come out on Tuesday and I look through the ads for sale items then try to match the coupons. I usually find that even with the coupon, the price is not very low. There are rare occasions where I will find an item at little to no cost but it's really rare.
Today I did run into Ralphs and Stater Brothers for the cereal deals. Stater's had buy 5 mix and match Cheerios and General Mills cereals for $1.88 each. I had a coupon for Lucky Charms buy 3 get $1.00 off so I did that and then I bought 2 Cheerios and used $1 off 2 coupon. Total for 5 boxes of cereal was $7.40, Not great but in this house we go through cereal fast and I figured it was better than full price.
At Ralphs, I bought 3 boxes of Frosted Flakes that were on sale for 1.99 each and used a $1 off 3 boxes so my total was $4.97 for 3 boxes. Again not great but better than paying full price. I don't know how these couponers get such great deals. My theory is that the stores here in So Cal don't run such great deals as they do back East and the Midwest. I know the stores here don't double coupons except for Ralphs but only up to a dollar.
For now I will keep clipping and trying to learn new tricks to save, save, save!
Today I did run into Ralphs and Stater Brothers for the cereal deals. Stater's had buy 5 mix and match Cheerios and General Mills cereals for $1.88 each. I had a coupon for Lucky Charms buy 3 get $1.00 off so I did that and then I bought 2 Cheerios and used $1 off 2 coupon. Total for 5 boxes of cereal was $7.40, Not great but in this house we go through cereal fast and I figured it was better than full price.
At Ralphs, I bought 3 boxes of Frosted Flakes that were on sale for 1.99 each and used a $1 off 3 boxes so my total was $4.97 for 3 boxes. Again not great but better than paying full price. I don't know how these couponers get such great deals. My theory is that the stores here in So Cal don't run such great deals as they do back East and the Midwest. I know the stores here don't double coupons except for Ralphs but only up to a dollar.
For now I will keep clipping and trying to learn new tricks to save, save, save!
Monday, June 20, 2011
My Elephant Card
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Birthday Card
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Graduation Card
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| Graduation Fron |
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| Graduation Inside |
Graduation time is here and there are a couple of graduation parties Aly was invited to. This is one of the cards I made. The school colors are red and black so I made a card that would incorporate those colors. Nothing too fancy but I really liked how this came out. I used black white cardstock for the card and glued red for the front background. I then cut a piece of white cardstock and bordered it with the black. I stamped CONGRATULATIONS on the front along with the CLASS OF and the DIPLOMA using Stampin Up's Tassle Time. I used the stars from the set to stamp around the red. The inside sentiment and the cap was also from this set. Hope you like it!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Birthday Card with Summer Colors
I made this card today for a cousin's birthday. She always wears a flower in her hair so I thought something with a flower would be nice. I like this card because it's real clean and simple but the colors say summer! I used white cardstock and glued the orange patterned paper to the front followed by the sky blue cardstock. I attached a ribbon with striped orange, white and green and then stamped Happy Birthday on lime green cardstock. I attached a flower to the front and added a green rhinestone to the center. I cut around the green cardstock with decorative scissors and traced over the Happy Birthday with orange copic.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Junior Prom 2011
Saturday was the Junior Prom. Wow how exciting! Starting with shopping for the dress. As I mentioned in an earlier post, that was a really special thing. I couldn't wait to see her in the dress. Friday we ran around getting nails, toes and eyebrows done. Saturday morning we went to the salon for her hair and then rushed home for make-up. We were running really, really late. Her hair appointment was at 11am and I was grateful that someone my husband knew could squeeze us in. It turned out to be 4 hours to do her hair. They started with a treatment, then cut, blowdry and then the up-do. Poor Natalie had never met Alyssa and didn't realize her hair was so long and so much. She did a really great job. Kudos to Natalie at Isabelle Marie Salon in Whittier, CA.
We got out of there at 3pm and rushed home so our cousin Yvette could do her make-up. Poor Yvette had to rush to get the job done and we really appreciate and love her. Yvette is a make-up artist who specialized in theatrical make-up. Check her out at www.wix.com/zombiekitty99/yvettefelipe.Then it was into her dress and shoes and off to her friend Stephanies house for dinner and photos. We needed to rush as Alyssa had the guys coursages for their dates. We arrived at Stephanies late but it all worked out fine. They took pictures, ate dinner and took more pictures in front of the Limo. Everyone looked fabulous in their gowns and the colors were so vibrant and beautiful.
Off they went to Kress Nightclub in Hollywood, CA. I was a little apprehensive about the location but the club was closed to the public and I knew they would not let anyone leave to walk around the town. Alyssa texted me about 11:30 to say they were on their way to get a bite to eat and then back to the school.
I can't believe there is only 1 more year of school for Alyssa. I hope next year is the best!
I Want to Craft!!
I hate getting the itch to craft when things are so upside down. Our garage is a mess, which is where my stuff is and I really can't get to it. Between all the stuff we need, the stuff we don't need, the laundry and all the stuff that just gets tossed in there to be sorted and dealt with later, just walking in the garage sends me making a U-turn and closing the door behind me.
It seems that when I can't craft for one reason or another, the ideas come flooding to my mind. By the time I finally get to doing something, my mind is once again blank. I have decided to write down all my thoughts and ideas. I plan to take some classes to learn new techniques. I'm even gonna learn how to crochet this summer. Hopefully, I can put my creations on Etsy.com. I have already listed a couple of things on there and am hoping to list more. I am anxious to start using my new Copic markers and make some beautiful cards and tags.
Of course none of this is possible if I don't get in the garage and start cleaning, which is what I am trying to do today. My mind says DO IT! but my body says NO! I know that once I start making a little progress, I will get motivated to do more and get it done. My goal is to get it all cleaned up so that I can get to my supplies and start creating. Wish me luck!!
It seems that when I can't craft for one reason or another, the ideas come flooding to my mind. By the time I finally get to doing something, my mind is once again blank. I have decided to write down all my thoughts and ideas. I plan to take some classes to learn new techniques. I'm even gonna learn how to crochet this summer. Hopefully, I can put my creations on Etsy.com. I have already listed a couple of things on there and am hoping to list more. I am anxious to start using my new Copic markers and make some beautiful cards and tags.
Of course none of this is possible if I don't get in the garage and start cleaning, which is what I am trying to do today. My mind says DO IT! but my body says NO! I know that once I start making a little progress, I will get motivated to do more and get it done. My goal is to get it all cleaned up so that I can get to my supplies and start creating. Wish me luck!!
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