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I did a garage sale once. I think I spent $10 on labels and tags, 20+ hours sorting and tagging, 4-6 hrs. sitting in the driveway feeling angry/disappointed/ripped off, and I made a total of $8. That left me in the hole $2602 because I place a $100 per hour premium on my time.
I think I might have spent all of my $8 at my neighbors' garage sales. I do treasure the unused boxed set of Anne of Green Gables books that I got from the neighbor to the north, but the Beethoven VHS cassettes from my neighbor to the south were not a big hit. No, not Beethoven the composer, Beethoven the St. Bernard dog who made almost as many movies as Mary Kate and Ashley.
At the end of the day, I had to haul all that crap back into my basement because I don't have a garage.
If I needed any more confirmations that garage sales are a bad idea, my across-the-street neighbor is having one today.
Pray for her. It's going to be a long day. She keeps hollering at her two-year old to stay out of the street, and putting her four-year old in time out on the front steps. Oops. Four-year old just hit two-year old because she didn't get to put the $1 in the cash box at the lemonade stand. Did I mention the only customer is the aunt? It's going to be a long day for them.
Temps are falling here. The weather is still gorgeous, but I did light my pumpkin-scented candle yesterday. Last night, I made chili and tonight we are going to try this Butternut Squash, Wild Rice, Smoked Sausage Soup. No, it's not meatless, but I'm working on that. Why isn't the feast of the exaltation of the cross a solemnity? grumble. grumble.
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Now the Chef tells me that we are supposed to eat pesto tonight, because St. Helen found the remains of the true cross under a basil plant. Apparently in the Eastern Church, they lay the cross on a bed of basil during this feast. The Chef got his intel from Fr. Z's blogpost here. Gotta love the term "penitential festivity."
Guess we'll be having the soup tomorrow night.
Sweet and sour Grace linked up to this post at Ain't No Mom Jeans regarding Lands' End new colored pants. I had already vociferously voiced my opposition to this fad before I read the review of the LE new colored chinos and fits.
Well, yesterday a friend called and said, "Why are you hating on the colored pants and then I see you in them?!"
I was intrigued by the rave review, and Susan and I went to our local inlet to do a test drive. She got the slim ankle cords in Raisin, and I came home with slim ankle chino pants in Light Raspberry Wine and Umber as shown above, minus the leopard print heels. Still looking for those. I'm saving up to get the Mazarine
Blue ones too. Because when I find pants that fit, I stockpile. I love them. And they feel like autumn.
And if someday Lands' End wants to send me free pairs to review online, all the better.
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Currently, Baby J is done playing with the Bananagrams I dumped out for her and demands eye contact.
The garage sale across the street is accompanied by much wailing and gnashing of teeth. It's going to be a beautiful weekend.
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I'm pretty sure my children would revolt if I made them eat pesto. Maybe I should make some just for Sean and I. Speaking of baby feet.. what kind of shoes do you recommend for a one year old who is walking and has really fat feet?
ReplyDeleteBaby J has really fat feet too! I think Stride Rite shoes are too busy. But I love See Kai Run and Tsukihoshi (pronounced sookie-yoshi). They don't come in "wides" but they are wide already. I use vip zappos. Free 2 day shipping, free returns. See Kai Run also has a brand called "Smaller" great for early walkers. Baby J couldn't wear the soft bottom Robeez without getting red marks on the tops of her feet (I call that part of the foot the "Fat Squoosh."), but she could wear Smaller brand shoes. I also don't like the rubber toe fender on the Stride Rite shoes for early walkers. Ew.
ReplyDeleteNo pesto, huh? More for you and Sean!
I want to pant my daughter's nails so bad, but the doctor told me that she's too young. :-(
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about participating in the military housing community yard sale, but you're making me think twice about it. I have way too much stuff that I've been holding onto over the years, and I usually haul bags of stuff off to GoodWill, but I've been hearing bad things about Good Will like some employees steal the donations and sell the stuff... :-(
Two Frowny Faces! Oh no! How old is one supposed to be before nail polish on toes? I did not know there was an age requirement.
DeleteAlso, some people have had great success with the yard sale. They probably have better junk than I do, and they probably price it right.
If not Goodwill, how about SVdP, Salvation Army, or the Blind Vets, or any of those other places that I get postcards from notifying me of pick-ups? SVdP lets me call and request a pick-up too.
Yes, the cross is surrounded by basil in the Orthodox Church (or flowers in the Russian tradition) - it smells so amazing when you lean in for a kiss :)
ReplyDeleteI've never heard to eat pesto on this day, though. It's a day of fasting, no meat, fish, dairy - but it is a wine and oil day.
Yard sales are nice, but I take everything and put it in the back of the car and take it immediately to Goodwill when we are done. May your neighbor's go well.
I did not mean to imply that everyone is supposed to eat pesto. That's just the Chef's dinner request. He suggested it because it includes basil.
DeleteI do like a wine and oil day though. Is butter a dairy or an oil?
Ah! That makes sense. Sounds good to me.
DeleteButter would generally be considered dairy, although fasting rules are always between you and your priest, who knows your personal situation, needs, and health.
we feel the same way about garage sales. :)
ReplyDeleteokay. we are garage sale hating TWINS.
ReplyDeletebleh.
and I was thinking "another grace blogged about Lands End!!"
I think I shall take the name "sweet and sour" -- new blog? maybe.
ahhhhhhhhhh and now I want to order some of dem pants.
I avoid them like the plague, or head lice, or strep throat. I have tried to shop at garage sales, but I can never find what I need and I have this guilt thing where I can't leave empty handed. The stuff I have bought at garage sales by and large is only fit for a garage sale. Boxed set of Anne of Green Gables excluded.
Delete/ Baby J added the slash.
All these years and I've always wondered how we lost $2,600 on our garage sale. Now I understand.
ReplyDelete$2602. Don't forget I spent $10 on labels, but made $8 in sales. But then I spent the $8, so we lost $2610 total. Math genius = Me
Delete