And Now ~ The Yard Sale Money

This is my very first financial post, I’m going to tell you what I made on the yard sale, but first…

Yard sales are a lot of work and to be honest – a crap shoot. You go through your entire home looking for potential sale items, clean those items, tag those items, have your very grumpy half-asleep son drag those items to the driveway, only to not sell it, and have him (more awake but not less grumpy) drag it back to the garage, or wherever it came from. That’s precisely what happened with Grammie’s wardrobe.

It is in bad shape, there is water damage, the top of it is snapped in half, the doors won’t close (therefore the pink hair tie) and the shelves were put there by someone who is not a carpenter. Possibly one of my nephews. People kept telling me it was in bad shape. I kept saying “I know.” It’s at least 70 years old. Lets see what you look like when you’re 70.

And not least is the fact that this sticker is still on the back of it. Someone offered me $25 for it. I declined and now it’s back in the garage. We’re going to put the fishing equipment in it.

This man bought (stole) my pretty swan head stool. Of course he’s smiling. Most thieves do when they get away with it. But as my friend Laura told me this weekend…just let it go. Now I’m going to need therapy.

Kelly’s husband (I forgot his name) is strangely attached to my headless baby…and I’m digging his tattoos. It seems to be a theme lately.

This lady was scared of it, which I believe is a more normal reaction.

And finally…a couch sale. Or rather, another steal. This young lady didn’t have a car big enough so she wanted me to deliver it. I’m such a sucker. Where do I get this from?

The low table didn’t sell for $45. It went for $18. The guy who bought it was a master bargainer. He asked me the lowest I would go. I said, “$25.”

He said, “Will you take $15?”
I siad, “How about $18?”
He said, “Okay.”

I gave him back his change and he went over to Neighbor Robin’s yard and spent the $2 there. The gall. I told him he should be glad that I brought it all the way from Japan for him.

My mother did her best to help me sell. She made this cute orange shawl for the girl. I has little pumpkin buttons on it. I sold a lot of sweaters that she made. I felt really guilty.

It went to the right person though. The girl wore this two Halloweens in a row…sigh…I’ve got to stop this.

The little drop table sold to this nice lady. Alright enough, how much did I make?

A grand total of $119.15. I guess it’s the economy. I don’t know how I got the 15 cents since nothing went for less than 25 cents. I must have given someone a dime instead of a quarter for change. I’m obviously as good at accounting as I am with crafting. A friend’s daughter graduated and I went to her party afterward and gave her a large chunk of the money. Hey, she’s starting her brand new adult life. Then my mother and I had a nice steak dinner. Lets just say that you don’t want me to manage your 401K.

Here’s my other two posts about this yard sale. I’m really milking it.

In Between The Rain Drops
The Mother Of All Yard Sales

The Mother Of All Yard Sales

The last couple of years, I was only able to drag out a few things to our community yard sale, then had to leave for soccer games/riding lessons etc and had to ask Neighbor Robin to watch/sell my things for me.

Last year the only thing I was able to get to the sale were the boy’s drums. He woke up and protested. Unfortunately they are still in the basement.

This year things went better. Here are some of the things that were up for sale.

Only kidding.

My grandmother’s wardrobe – please don’t think badly of me. I’ve had it in several homes and in at least three places in my current home and we just never clicked.

My really pretty but very impractical stool. One of the legs is broken, but I kept it all these years because the swan heads were so beautiful. Even though it’s been in the garage for a couple of years (therefore the really dirty fabric) I will still miss it. I bought it in Germany at a swap meet. Sigh.

My Japanese low table.

The couch was for sale, not my mother. The little baby next to her was going for cheap.

Lots of clothing – mostly the girl’s things. I’m not going to editorialize about how many clothes she has.

I opened up this tin and found these shell necklaces that I probably bought while in Hawaii in order to do some kind of shell project. Which of course, I never got around to doing.

Neighbors Eric and Liz went jogging by but never stopped.

They may have liked this table. I bought it at a Naked Furniture place in Hawaii and had them cut the legs down so I can sit on the couch and work on craft projects. I had grand visions of painting it, tiling it, decoupaging it and then just gave up…I am the queen procrastinator.

Neighbor Chris was attached to my dress form. He had all of three things to sell so he was out rummaging around in my things. I bought it on eBay with the thought that I could go to craft fairs with it to display all the wonderful things that I was going to make and sell on my table that I was going to paint/tile/decoupage.

I don’t know why I keep thinking that I am going to craft anything. I am a total crafting failure.

I have to get ready for church now. I’ll tell you how I made out tomorrow. I’ll give you a hint, after the yard sale, I went to a graduation party, then bought four big fat sirloin steaks and a bottle of wine for dinner. I’m not sure what Dave Ramsey would say about my stewardship abilities.

17 Year Anniversary Gift

On Saturday, the husband and I will have been married 17 years. It feels like yesterday. Literally like yesterday. But here we are, two children, one dog, three cats, two new knees,  at least 10 jobs between the two of us, three booms/recessions, one-almost-career-ending-disease, one retirement and six moves later.

And we still have my couch that I had in college. That was oh, over twenty years ago. That along with mismatched pieces from different times and different homes in our lives, it’s a living area that I don’t like to live in.

I love making a home. So I was so glad to find out that the modern anniversary gift for a 17 year anniversary is furniture.

We went after our Mother’s Day lunch, because the kids were already in the car and had no choice but to come with us.

We went to the Lazy Boy store and the family tried every single piece of furniture in the store.

I was left to my own devices, which was fine with me. How suburban is it to go to the Lazy Boy store? When we lived in Europe, we would have poo poo-ed this.

I bought this chair in red leather. I can’t wait to get it!

I will keep my old couch for now and work on the rest of the living room very slowly…It’s been with me longer than the husband and I have been together.

Thanks honey, and happy, happy, happy anniversary.

Head on over to Julia’s at Hooked on Houses to see what’s up! Over the weekend I get a glass of wine and wander around other people’s homes over there. It’s great fun.

Do You Have 2.5 Million Dollars?

Today you can call me Julie of Hooked on Houses.

The husband and I were driving by this home last weekend and saw that there was an open house. We’ve always been curious about this house. I drive by it several times a week on the way to the farm where my daughter rides. I saw the construction start and finish. And the house remained empty. No a sign of life. It been at least a couple of years since it was finished.

So I made the husband stop when I saw the open-house sign.I forgot to take a photo of the front though…I think it’s of the McMansion period.

The realtor tells me that the house was built by a contractor who now has it for sale. It’s 7,000 square feet or more. It’s going for $2.5 million. (sucking molars) She actually told us it was overpriced so it not just me who thinks so.

The above photo is of the basement. It’s HUGE.

As we looked around we realized why it wasn’t selling. It’s big, that’s evident. It’s beautiful too, lots of extras.  But it didn’t feel like a home…it was so big that you would need a family of twelve to fill it up. This is the master bedroom suite which is on the first floor. Beautiful windows though.

It has a big two story living room, which, as Julie said, is beautiful but not very practical. And it has to be a nightmare to heat.

Is it me or are the columns in the hallway slightly pretentious?

I am jealous of this shower..

A gorgeous tub but it was in the front of the home which faced a busy main road where you can do some people watching. You can watch them watch you take a bath.

The balcony was nice but I don’t think it offered a lot of privacy. But I guess it’s good for catching teenagers who want to sneak off. There’s two bedroom back there.

I’m a sucker for beautiful kitchens. This one is very beautiful. But I like mine better:)

For such a big house, it has a relatively small and encapsulated kitchen.

Nice hood though.

I love the pavings on the back porch. And it has a circular staircase coming from the floor above. Maybe those teenagers can sneak off after all.

Those house has five acres and some landscaping in the front and on the side of the house. But you know what? No swimming pool! $2.5 million and no pool? Foul!

Posted on Hooked on Houses.

Spring Planting – But Not By Me

It’s that time of year, the spring planting season where beauty and nature collide, exploding in riotous color. Better known in my house as the killing season.

I love flowers and plants and fresh vegetables. I just don’t like planting them. I did not inherit my mother’s genetic anomaly for digging in the dirt.

But I did go to the nursery with her where she bought a variety of vegetables and roses to plant in my yard. She knows I’m not much of  a gardener. She also knows one other thing.

After she sweats and digs and spends money in my yard, I won’t let them die. I would feel too guilty. So it forces me to actually get a little dirty. Which I don’t like to do.

I don’t want you to get the impression that she’s doing this by herself. The boy helps too.

And he’s sweet enough around his grandma not to make a fuss about it while she’s here. After all, he’s missing the race on tv when he’s outside digging holes. But he can’t fool his grandma. She knows that he’s much more like me when it comes to gardening than he is like her.

How else is he going to learn to grow his own garden when he’s grown and gone from the house? I hope he doesn’t think I’m going to do it.

Look! A Chandelier!

I came home today and saw this…

A chandelier over the dining room table!

I’m beside myself, sniff. A chandelier! What a wonderful surprise.

Thanks honey, I have the best husband.

And underneath the chandelier? The boy, doing his homework…life is perfect.

Hooked On Elevated Fireplaces

Actually I’m hooked on mine. When we remodeled my dream kitchen, we wanted to keep the existing fireplace. The kitchen used to be our living room. We did the big switcheroo. Had we left the fireplace on the floor where was it was, I would have lost storage space. So we elevated it over the counter. And I love it.

We had some hiccups putting it in. This log set was the third one we ordered and the only one that worked. I wanted a more contemporary set, with green glass and a single line of flame. It wasn’t to be. Most of the sets I loved were only compatible with Canandian standards. I wish I lived in Canada. It would have made this whole fireplace remodel a lot easier.

Hop on over to Julia’s place and see what other people are hooked on today.

Thank you for all of your wonderful advice on my bedroom a couple of weeks ago. I am considering all options. However, I am coming across some - umm – resistance from the husband. He said, “It doesn’t matter what it looks like, we’re the only ones who see it.” Weeeeeell, not so true anymore. Anyway, I’m cooking all of his favorite foods…he’ll come around.

Update: I found Jennifer at Southern Charm Decor from Julia’s Hooked on Houses (funny how that works) and I’m joining that link party today. The theme is Showcase Bookshelves. I know I only have one shelf showing here and it has my mortar and pestal on it. I have a whole post about that rattling around in my head as well. Wow, looking at all these beautiful homes make me want to remodel again…I hope the husband doesn’t pull our internet service:)

Help In The Bedroom

Update: I’m asking Melissa of The Inspired Room to help me. I had great intentions when I wrote this post of remodeling my entire room. I had plenty of great suggestions, but then I was stuck in the land of indecision. Melissa is giving everyone the great opportunity to win a $200 Home Goods gift certificate and I think that would be a great starting point for this bedroom.

What would I do with a $200 gift certificate from Home Goods? I would purchase some lamps and some pillows. I would purchase a new bed coverlet. And a rug…a mirror would be nice too, a tall dressing mirror. The color I’ve settled on is robin’s egg blue, since most people seem to suggest that color. I’m looking for great original art that inspires me so I’m going to leave the space above the headboard blank until I find something.

Thank you for the opportunity to win Melissa. You are definitely an inspiration.

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Dear Julia of Hooked on Houses,

HELP!

Last week Julia was hooked on toile and I should have posted this then. My bedroom is full of it. Toile that it. I love it, it’s very romantic, very French. And after five years, I’m still not tired of it. However…I think I can add a little color. Just a little, maybe a curtain in a different color? And what color?

I know the lamps are odd. Please ignore those.

I have these chairs in the bedroom that we bought from a vendor at a flea market. I love them, but they’re pink. I’ve been meaning to re-cover these for the past 18 years. I don’t think the husband would want any more pink in the room. I don’t think I want any more pink in the room.

We have a tv in our bedroom. There’s a confession. The wallpaper goes all the way around the room. Everywhere.

The curtains are the same toile.

The bed cover is the same toile. Yikes, are you getting dizzy?

So I want to interject another color into the bedroom…and not pink either!

I have this beautiful rug on the floor that I absolutely love. Maybe red? It’s just not very tranquil.

Julia help me please!

Design Question Answered

A couple of weeks ago I ask for help for my console. I needed a change and I got some great advice! Thank you!

Here it was.

And here it is now!

Here’s what I did. You said clear the clutter. So I did. You said a long mirror, rather than a wide one. I didn’t have a long mirror so I put this tall print behind it. It’s of Zermatt, Switzerland where the husband and I got engaged. We were there in July to ski, you can do that in Zermatt where the Alps are at an elevation of 10,000 ft. While we were skiing on the mountain, he got down on one knee to ask me to marry him. I thought he fell down until he pulled out the ring. It was so romantic. I cried for the rest of the day – from happiness not because I was sad. I was also surprised and I don’t handle surprises well. The husband got this print from some friends. He was staying with them for the week and told them the story of our engagement. They literally took it off their wall and gave it to him. I’m digressing. Anyway, it’s tall so I’m following the advice I was given. I think it works.

I also cleared off the photos but left the vase. It was taken from my mother’s house. She knows it’s here. No worries.

The middle shelf has a celedon bowl my mother bought for me on her last trip to Thailand. She was there when they had the coup a couple of years ago. That’s another story. And I’m full of stories but I’ll never get to the whole design thing if I keep digressing.

You said “three things.” So I put three seashells on the bottom shelf. I got those…another time.

As for the pictures, I spread them out around my home.

I think you all were right. I can see them now! I have to display them, they mean a lot to me.

Ignore the chandelier on the floor. And the dog.

So thank you! Now onto the bedroom…

Design Question – Console

The husband and I bought this console in Germany a long time ago, when our tastes were different. Or perhaps when we didn’t have any. Anyway, I still like it because it reminds me of that time in Europe, no kids no cares and it was when the antique bug bit me hard. And it has great bones too. The scale is a little off, our house is small, our furniture is big, but we live with it.

The frames on the top and middle shelves have been there a while, five years. Anyway, I think I need to switch them out…

I don’t know what to do…what do I put there? Should the husband’s picture of the Cliffs of Dover stay there? I need a change…

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