Nothing Going On

It has pretty much been rather boring around here since the first of the year.  All I have been up to is stocking my Etsy store and selling things on Ebay.  Both things are doing real good but take an enormous amount of time.  After doing good on Ebay selling vintage canning jars I branched out to other items that we pick up at auctions or get free.  I put on Ebay a pair of spurs that we found and made about $125; a Indian motorcycle emblem that Ron found in some scrap years ago went for $38.  Doing both of these is a full time job and not an 8 hour day but have found it fun and profitable.  I'm amazed at what sells and for how high some items go for.  After the post office opens in a couple of hours I have 3 big boxes of stuff to take up.  Some days Ron will take the stuff when he gets home from work.
It has been cold for the last week and I am already tired of winter.  I hate that I can't get out everyday and fiddle around in the yard.  Also hanging laundry inside is not a favorite thing either.  Last June I decided to save energy and not use my dryer and don't regret that decision.  For 2 weeks after surgery we used it because I couldn't hang clothes with one hand and Ron would not do it but the rest of the time I hang it out or in.
Well I guess I'll pick up around the house some and look around to see what else I can do to keep busy.

Going to be a Nice Day Today

It has been a really nice week and is going to get warmer each day as the week goes on.  So instead of hanging laundry inside I washed 2 loads this morning and just came in from hanging them out.  Still a little cold right now (36) but it will be in the high 40's today.  Got to take advantage of the nice days when we get them.  Tomorrow we have rain in the forecast but Friday we are suppose to get in the 50's.  I plan on taking sheets off the beds tomorrow and wash them Friday morning and hang them out.
I got up a little before 4, showered, did 2 loads of laundry, packed 8 orders from eBay and it is just 7:30.  I have some more stuff to add to my Etsy Store; PaulasThisandThat but don't want to overwhelm myself like I did yesterday.  It takes time to get the shelves stocked.  Going to put some of the stuff I had on eBay in the Etsy store.  It is a lot cheaper to sell on Etsy than eBay.  Well going to get busy and start stocking the shelves with some goodies.  Later.

Recycling Project # 1

Several weeks ago Ron brought home an old wood ironing board that he thought I might like to do something with.  The first thing he did was to take it completely apart.  Then I had him use the wood from the legs and glued them together so I could make a shelf.  The same night he brought it home it spoke to me and I knew what I wanted to make.  Ron went to work doing the electrical part and he cut the shelf when the glue was good and dry.  I used 2 of the 4 lamp sconces that he brought home the first of December to make into the lights.  Then I used 2 Ball Blue Jars for the light shades.  I sanded all the wood and then applied 2 coats of Minwax Antique Finishing Oil to the ironing board and the little shelf.  The oil brought out the grain in the wood and gave it a nice shine.  Tonight Ron hung it in the spot next to the fridge and it looks absolutely beautiful.  Cost for the project was about $8.00 for the oil but have plenty left over and a pull cord for the lights.  The rest of the stuff was all recycled items.

Project # 2 might showcase tomorrow, hint it has something to do with another wood ironing board.  Ron said in all the years he has worked at the scrap yard (44 years) this was the first time he has saw wooden ironing boards brought in.  Of course if he sees more he will bring them home.

This is what the wood looks like before the oil.

After the second oiling.

From top to bottom; 2 recycled light sconces, 2 of my Ball jars, my chicken plate sitting on the shelf made by gluing the wood legs together.  It is absolutely beautiful!! 

Thanks to a Kind Person

Last week I wrote a note on the blog to my local friends and family that I was needing some buttons for the rag items I was crocheting.  Someone who reads the blog who I've never met, talked to or know contacted me and said she had some buttons she would send me if I wanted them.   I gave her my address and she sent me a box of buttons.  I received them today and was so amazed that someone would do that.  I went through the buttons one by one and there are some very old and huge buttons in there.  The bigger and gaudier the better.  I love them and thank her so very much for making my day.   Thanks Jean!!

I've Been Very Busy

I'm still here just been very busy.  I have items on Ebay that Renee and I sell, stuff under my husbands name that Ron and I sell and just finished opening my Etsy store.  Researching the items, cleaning/organizing the items, taking pictures, editing the pictures, writing about the item and then finally listing the item is a full time  job.  Then when you sell something you have to pack it and take to the post office.  Renee and I have done real well selling our vintage canning jars, Ron and I have done excellent at selling misc items and I just opened my Etsy store at 8 PM yesterday and had my first $30+ sale 2 hours later, WOW.  I still need to do some more work to get some more things listed and hope to have everything added by Friday.  This is not an 8 hour a day job but it is making money and I LOVE doing what I am doing.  Renee said about 8 months ago I should open a shop but I guess I just wasn't ready.  I am not abandoning my blog.  It is a slow time around here right now.  I will be posting some neat things this week that Ron and I made by recycling some pretty neat things.

A New Year and a Clean House

The last two weeks I would clean up things as they got dirty BUT not deep clean.  Yesterday I got up early, 4:30 to get started.  I started in the kitchen and worked my way through the house.  It took me 6 long hours and when I was done it looked so nice.  Crocheting rag items messes up the house so much.  The lint from the stuff gets EVERYWHERE.  Up again early today but not as early as yesterday and decided to sit and catch up reading some posts on some blogs I follow.  

New Years day Ron and I went to an auction and I got some stuff that I will be selling on ebay.  I started sorting through some vintage patterns yesterday and now have them in my clean living room working on them.  I go through every pattern to make sure it is complete before I list it.  I have gotten my money back in entertainment just going through them.  They are so neat and I wonder did we really wear stuff like that?  Most are from the 50's.  There are several that were sent for through the mail and are still in the envelope that they were mailed in.  The postage ranges on the envelopes are 1 cent, 1 1/2 cent and 2 cents.  The patterns were offered in newspapers and you mailed 15 cents in coin to get them.  That was in the day when you could put money in the mail without worry.  

Going to make me a toasted bagel and back to working on this stuff.  Take care everyone and may each and everyone have a blessed New Year.

Re-gifted Items

My daughter Renee re-gifted some things to me and I'll take re-gifted things any day.  She sent over 11 lbs of dates, 10 lbs of hard wheat white flour, at least 10 lbs of yellow apples and a few other grocery items.  I've packaged the dates and vacuumed sealed them and will freeze some and put some in the fridge to use for breads.  The flour went in my sealed flour bucket, the apples will be dried for apple chips when the dehydrator is empty and the other items went in my cabinet.
Also she send over about 12 magazines with recipes and magazines on gardening.  After I read them I will recycle them by giving them to my son for his friend's brother who is autistic and loves magazines.  These have a lot of colorful pictures and he will like that.   
THANKS so much, the items will not go to waste and are so much appreciated anytime.