Selling Things

My daughter has had an Etsy web store for a couple years now.  She started out selling baby things she'd made:  cloth blocks, appliqued onsies, knit baby hats and washcloths.  Then my mom passed away and we started selling aprons on the website.  She's been busy listing and selling them.  Then she got the idea to use some of my mother's large collection of buttons to make bookmarks and hair clips.  Now I've got her selling off some of my mother's fabric stash.  I think I've taken over her shop.

This whole website store thing is interesting.  It draws me to it like nothing else.  Several times a day I have to go and check to see whether anything has sold.  Most of the time it is "Rats, same 71 sales."  Then suddenly the sales number will go up and I have to quickly check to see what sold.  At that point, I usually call my daughter "Hey, you had a sale!"  Then the waiting game starts again.  I think I'm addicted!  :)

Check out Elsie's Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlesproutbasics.

~Jane

Preparing for Sale

It is just amazing to me how much time you can spend getting something ready to sell.  I am trying to liquidate some of my mother's fabric and linen stashes.  Mostly that equals fabric and aprons.  By the time I wash, mend, and iron...then get them photographed and sent to my daughter, so she can write a description and enter everything into Etsy, it has taken a fair amount of time.  Then when it sells she has to package and take it to the post office.  We are grateful to see things sell, but it does seem to take a lot of effort.  But, it is going to people who will enjoy it, it is not going to the landfill, it's helping my daughter catch up bills from her husband being out of work, and we are getting something for it instead of just donating it to a thrift store.  All good things.

I had posted on several doll sewing lists that I am on that we had fabric for sale.  Today someone posted that the fabric she had ordered a week ago still hadn't come!  Oh, my.  Now that is frustrating because someone else on that list may hesitate to buy something.  The woman didn't have the correct story either.  She says she ordered on the 2nd, but Paypal says she ordered on the 4th, which happened to be a holiday!  She got her order on the 9th, which I think is pretty quick.  The woman did post later in the day that the fabric did come, but still.  She could have emailed us directly rather than post it on the list.  The trials of selling on-line.  We had a pretty good response with the first batch of fabric.  I am trying to get another batch ready.  It's proving a little difficult since my camera is acting up and refusing to take pictures.  My birthday is coming up.  Maybe a new camera is in my future.

~Jane - who will tell you about the Mad Hatter Tea Party preparations on another day. 
 

Saturday - Catching Up

This has been a productive week, although I never seem to get as much done as I want to.  Work has been slow, so I've had a chance to work on my Tasha Tudor counted cross-stitch.  I finished the gray goose this week.  One of my co-workers said there is a vodka by the name of Gray Goose and it sounded like I'd finished the bottle when I announced I had finally finished the gray goose.  Guys!

Work on my mom's estate has been slow through session.  I had some paperwork to file with the IRS that I was stressing over.  When I actually took the time to check what it was, it turned out to be a lot of nothing at the moment.  Just signing a form and saying there was no activity yet.  There won't be any reportable activity until we actually sell the house.  A lot of stress, a visit to the local IRS office, and an hour spent on a call to the IRS to figure all that out.  But the ladies at the local office and on the phone were very helpful, pleasant, and informative and I really appreciated their help.

I had my husband bring the bench for the weight machine down from the attic.  I am  getting closer to actually having to start exercising.  I want to try to figure out how to adapt my routine from the gym to the exercise equipment I have at home.  That will take a little bit of research.

I sewed the buttons on my new nightgown and the Little Guy's sweater.  He's coming to spend the night tonight, so I'll get a picture of him wearing it.  I found the perfect flannel print for a baby quilt I need to make for one of Elsie's friends.  I did some minor mending on items to sell.  I knit some on the snowflake fingerless gloves I started a while back.  I have all the yarn now to make myself a pair, but want to finish this pair first. 

I need to get some things done before the Little Guy comes over this afternoon so I should get busy.  I'm in the middle of ironing a bunch of small luncheon cloths for the Etsy shop.  So, if you need small tablecloths that are really nice for table centers, check out Elsie's Etsy shop over the next week to see the new additions.  She'll also be adding some new aprons.

~Jane

Finally Feeling Better

I haven't been posting much because I've basically been out of commission for the past 10 days.  I managed to drag myself through Thanksgiving Day successfully and Elsie and I negotiated the holiday crowds on Black Friday, although we didn't get up too early, but did manage to get the camera we went out for.  I hate having her know what her present is, but her husband made the mistake of buying a camera last year that wasn't what she wanted and she took it back.  I didn't want that happening this year.  I wanted her input.  I had my husband on Thanksgiving Day going through the camera ads and comparing all the cameras on sale to Consumer Reports until he found what we both thought was the best combination of what she wanted and what we were willing to pay.  Ultimately, I know she wants a digital SLR camera, but Santa's pockets aren't that deep this year and she is perfectly fine with a smaller point-and-shoot.  I have to keep those adorable pictures of the Little Guy coming!

I was too sick to work over at my mom's last week.  I'll have to get over there some time this week.  We have been posting new aprons on Little Sprout Basics, so go there if you're looking for aprons.  If you have a specific color you're looking for - email with Elsie.  I have about 50 aprons I've yet to iron.  We might have one that will work.

View from my front window

Last week we had a nasty winter storm.  Of course, since I was sick I didn't get to enjoy much of it, but I discovered the Little Guy needs wool socks.  So I'm knitting a pair for him right now.  Aren't these cute?  I'm going to make him another pair of mittens also, although the ones from last year still fit.  Then, another pair of socks.  We all keep our houses pretty cool, so warm socks are a must.  Well, I'm off to make myself a cup of tea and knit on the Little Guy's socks.

~Jane

Jane Austen Addict

I'm sure if you are paying any attention at all to my reading list, you've seen a number of Jane Austen-themed books there.  I don't know why...maybe my life just seems too busy lately and I'm hankering for a slower-paced life, but I've definitely been attracted to the Jane Austen take-offs recently.  I just finished Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and it was a very good read.  Of course, then I discovered www.janeaustenaddict.com, which has some short videos about the book.  Last night, while ironing hankies and aprons from my mother's stash for my daughter's Etsy shop in an attempt to liquidate some of them at other than garage sale prices, I watched Sense and Sensibility again.  Ahhhh.  I think that I'll hit up Netflix again this evening and see what's available to keep me company as I iron.

~Jane