Still Down and Out with the Crud, but Getting Better!

Okay, here I am complaining again about this terrible crud that has taken me over for the past two weeks.

Yes, that's right. TWO WEEKS! 14 days I've been coughing and wheezing till my head wants to explode!

This has just knocked me on my ass! I know the cold has turned into a sinus infection and bronchitis and I've never had it this bad. So, finally on some antibiotics and I'm faking it till I'm making it!

Last week I set out with some goals for myself. Let's see how I did...

1. Set up the inside of the curio cabinet & redo the space

2. Make a creative DIY sign for the resale space (thanks to Van of ThriftCore for that one!

3. Organize merchandise for flea market

4. Get a sales tax number for business

5. Sign up for Website Design class

6. Mark additional items that will go in the curio & space

Well, despite that I spent most of the week flat out on the couch, I didn't do too bad. I signed up for the Website Design class and flew through my first two lessons and got flying colors on my quizzes!

I didn't get to the flea market merchandise or the sales tax number, but both required too much physical or mental exertion that I was just unable to do either. I'll get to them this week.

I'm not sure I have the space for a sign in my resale spot, so that's on hold for now.

So, here's my goals for this week:

1. Sales tax number

2. Organize flea market merchandise and seek out somewhere to sell it

3. Make some shelf tags for promoting merchandise

4. Investigate some lighting for the curio cabinet

5. Decorate for Valentine's Day in the Co-op

6. Talk to Van of about advertising/promo of blog

So, that's good for this week. On top of these goals, I'm seeking a full time job...again, yet, still. Unemployment is going to run out soon. Also seeking a part time job to get some additional cash. Have some major paperwork to go through and organize for tax season! Yay!

Wish me luck...and check out my homemade Button Board to set up in the curio!

Taaaa Daaaaa!

Here it is! Our long wished-for curio cabinet for the co-op space. It went in on Monday and I put items in it and will be making it more jazzy as time moves on. Hopefully we'll have better sales of our little stuff.

I'm hoping to get some lucite risers to make use of the tallness of the space on these shelves, so that's probably next after I do some shelf tags with some info about items we're selling.

So, come in and have a look!

Patience and Tenacity and a Weekly Goal List!

After two days of an all out seek and find, and thinking we weren't going to find anything...we did! Not in a thrift store or an auction, not at a big box retail store or consignment shop. On Craigslist. Found the perfect curio cabinet last night on the site that was absolutely perfect in style and shape.

Contacted the owner, got directions, made an offer and picked it up today!

A bit touch and go trying to get it in the Jeep Compass...thought that front passenger seat went flat down and it doesn't! Hopefully it will fit in my Honda Fit tomorrow! My seat lays flat, so it ought to.

Joanne blurted out the quote this morning when we headed out to get it, "Good things come to those who wait." I thought she was right, but I've been searching like a dog now for the past five weeks! Patience and tenacity...

Now all I have to do is get it over to my space tomorrow and set it up...so, although I'm not back to feeling a hundred percent, I'm better and if I can avoid a horrid coughing jag while carrying one end (thanks to friend Cindy for helping out with the other end!) I'll be so happy! I do now, however, have quite a lot to work on this week...so here's my list of goals to accomplish:

1. Set up the inside of the curio cabinet & redo the space

2. Make a creative DIY sign for the resale space (thanks to Van of ThriftCore for that one!

3. Organize merchandise for flea market

4. Get a sales tax number for business

5. Sign up for Website Design class

6. Mark additional items that will go in the curio & space

Feeling a Tad Better...

My last post was six days ago and I know I said I was going to post daily, but I have been under the blanket of bronchitis! Nyquil, Ludens Cough Drops, Puffs w/Lotion...that's been my world these last few days.

Wasn't upright long enough to write much at all and rather than bore you with drivel, and believe me...there's been drivel here...I decided not to write anything.

Now, you know we've been looking for a curio cabinet for our resale space due to several thefts we've had our first month in the co-op. Yesterday, we were supposed to head to Harrisburg to the PA Farm Show, but thought it may be too much with how I'd been feeling all week. We thought it best to stay somewhat local and go on a curio search.

Staying on task isn't my strong point, so Joanne had to tell me several times to focus. We went from one thrift store to another to another and nothing! However, there were a few things we picked up to resell.

A pair of great Inland Glass carafe's, a Good Season's shaker, a Pyrex juice carafe, a Dansk Kobenstyle enameled casserole pan, a melmac divided bowl and a great carry basket.

There were some things not brought home...

This Radio Flyer horse was awesome! Kind of reminds me of the days supermarkets had rides for kids out front and you begged your mom for a dime (dating myself, aren't I?) to have a ride before going into the store.

These great melmac cups and bowls were pretty awesome. I'm sad I left these behind.

Hmmmmm...Joanne and I had a bit of a price disagreement over these. I say we could have doubled our money, but she was completely convinced we could buy one cheaper than the price tag. I wanted to pull a 'picker' on these folks and see if they'd negotiate, but nope...Joanne wasn't having any of that!

These chairs were AWESOME! If only we had a bigger resale spot!

This Jabba the Hut was at an auction I worked at today and I couldn't resist showing you this photo!

And this is an awesome T-Rex I took a photo of with Joanne there in the background! Another regret! Oh well, there will be more another time!

Although I'm not feeling great, I'm still coughing up lungs and my body aches from the force of my body trying to expel this infection, I'm better than I was all week long. Now, I'm not going to say anything much, but after a Craigslist search, we may have found what we needed...stay tuned!

Making Up For Lost Post & Some More Goals for 2012

I missed yesterday with a post because we've both been sick, so today I'm putting up two of them and have thought hard about goals for 2012. As one who is part of that 13 million unemployed statistic, I think I have to amp up my sales and my resume.

For years I've wanted to do a website for my freelance writing and now I'd love to do one for this business. A friend of mine wanted me to go into the business with him and do the sales part of it and he'd do the website part. As much as I may seem outgoing and friendly, sales aren't my forte. I probably could do it if I knew more about the 'behind the scenes' part of the web design as it would give me confidence to talk to people about what I or my partner could do for them.

(This image is from Mark Fasel Design at www.markfaseldesign.com)

So, this winter I'm taking an online website design course. Not only will it give me some idea of what goes into making a website, but it will give me something else on my resume to use to sell myself. I'm not a dud when it comes to computers, but I'm also not a 'geek' and I mean that in a good way...as someone who really knows their way around a control panel in one of these things...so, this is a great start to a new year!

A Bit Under The Weather, We Are!

Well, I missed posting something new yesterday...Joanne's been sick for a few days with a horrible cold that she's caught from who knows where...everyone's got it or had it or got it again! And she spent Friday night on the recliner sofa and we both spend the day in our jammies there yesterday! Literally slept the day away.

I am on the bridge of getting sick. I can feel something in my chest and throat and there's some coughing and a thick sense of exhaustion. So, we both fell asleep on the recliners last night with the TV on. Today, Joanne feels she's over the hump of this plague-like disease and I'm just moving a bit slower than usual.

Our plan yesterday was to head out and look for a curio cabinet. We are in desperate need of one and we thought there might be one at the co-op to purchase with a lock and an alarm already and I'd have to move it all of about 2 feet to my space, but alas, the dealer wasn't interested in selling.

So, we have to put our plans off a week or so...I may be at an auction working next week, so that puts us in a pinch...but, we'll see what happens.

Till next post...I leave you with a few shots of our space as it is now...any suggestions?

Browsing

Thought I'd take you for a bit of window shopping at my co-op.