True Confession Of A Rat Race Escapee

Two days ago I celebrated my birthday and as usual it was a time of deep inner searching  and reflection for me.  I thought about my journey to the person I am today.  Emotionally.  Spiritually.  Physically.  And financially.  Am I living up to my true potential?  

In 2006 when I graduated from university my goal was to eventually step away from the 9-5 and support myself by owning and operating my own business. It was something I wanted sooooo bad! It was a goal then, but now I can say I am DOING it.  I officially began working from home 7 years ago and never looked back. It was hard, really hard but I had to get off the hamster wheel. I felt so stifled, it truly felt like a  "rat race"

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I made up my mind that I would grind and research and do whatever was lawful to see results!  Along the way I've had epic fails and countless booohooo sessions.  Sometimes I struggled really hard to pay the bills but with the support of my husband, we got through it.  Fast forward 3 years and I found myself separated and alone.  Suddenly I was at rock bottom wondering, now what am I gonna do?  Thankfully I was able to lean heavily on my faith in God which provided guidance and an endless supply of emotional strength. I was also blessed to have support from family and friends and then a little later, God totally restored my marriage.

Out of The Nest

 

Well, every baby bird must leave the nest eventually so 3 years ago year I took a leap of faith.  I moved to a new State, and decided to just do everything in my power to succeed.  I decided go hard with Ebay in addition to my Graphic Design business.  I also set up Etsy accounts as well and created new products.  As time passed my hard work started paying off!  I spent countless hours researching home based jobs, lost money with some of them but learned a lot along the way as well so it was the most beneficial experience as a business person so far.  I regret nothing. 

As I write this, there have been changes yet again in my life. I now reside in my native country. The Bahamas. 

While my location has changed I am grateful that my outlook on life is still the same.  Same Drive. Same Faith. Same Passion to go and get it for myself!

 I am not a millionaire by any standard or affiliate guru or any of those things. I am just someone who learned to support myself from home so I can live the life that feeds my spirit.  Someone who believes any dream or goal can be achieved if one is willing to work at it and above all be honest and diligent. Money can be made and lost in a second but character is the building block of lasting success. 

And so my friends, to your success and mine!

Cherio!

5 Good Reasons To Shop On Ebay

Am not going to lie, it took me a while to really give Ebay a shot.  Having done so though, I am thrilled to say the least.  I never imagined that I could reach power seller and top rated status in less than 3 months.  But I did.  Yay me!  I am no guru yet but I am having fun learning and figuring it out.

Here are some of the reasons that drew me to Ebay.

1.  Bargains!

Hello! There are bargains to be had by all.  From negotiating a lower price directly from the seller to finding that perfect deal, it is all possible on Ebay.  And here is my favorite part, the bargains never stop.  They are 24/7.  Gotta love that.  

2.  Vast Product Selection

One of the things I absolutely love about Ebay is the vast selection of goods that they offer.  You can literally find anything there.  And I do mean Anything.  I have bought books, records, computers, designer handbags, vintage jewelry, collectibles, stuff for my dog and so much more......and I still haven't scratched the surface of the merchandise they offer.  My favorite items to buy on Ebay is vintage jewelry and Art.  I find that there are lots of people selling Estate pieces and one of a kind items that I have never seen any where else.  At unbelievable bargain prices I have never seen.  Ever.  I love that!

Here are a few things I purchased this week.  I collect Cameos so this made me really happy. 

3.  Easy Check Out

No long lines to stand on or tedious filling out online credit card forms.  Ebay connects with Pay Pal so you can check out in seconds.  No worries about being jacked on the net as Pay Pal is one of the safest ways to send and receive money without providing your personal information.  I personally enjoy having that peace of mind.  So far my experience has been all kinds of wonderful.  (Knock on wood.)

4.  Fun!

I know this may sound strange but I have a blast bidding on stuff.  It really feels good to snatch something up in the last few seconds from 10 other hungry bidders.  Kinda like blocking a shot in basketball.  (In my best Matumbo voice) No No No, Not today!  Ha ha ha ha............

5.  Positive Feedback

Since Ebay sellers and shoppers buy from people they trust, positive feedback is like gold on your  Ebay profile.   The more you have, the more confidence people have in you.  Good business etiquette goes a long way.  It is very simple. Ship in one or two days if you are a seller and pay for items promptly if you are a buyer.  Before you know it, you will have great reviews which  =  cha ching!  

And there you have it.  Hope I inspired you to give Ebay a try, trust me, it is well worth it.  I would love to hear from you on this so leave me some Ebay stories or comments.  Have a good one lovelies!

Cherio!

Deals, Steals And Goodwill To All!

Okay, so I have to admit that this Goodwill thing is getting a wee bit out of hand.  And by that I mean I go there constantly, ahem, alright, the truth is, I stalk that site like a predator.  Sigh. I just can't help myself.  The deals are just too darn good to pass up!  Lately though, since I know this is my new go-to pass time, I have been making sure that I buy things ONLY for my Ebay business.  Cha-ching!  Goodwill is perfect for that, and I feel less guilt when I shop now because it's to turn a profit.....and it does.  Now all I have to figure out is when to stop buying.  Oh well, this may take some time.  Baby steps.


Here's a few of my buys for this week:

A huge 121b mystery bag of vintage jewelry.  I cant wait to see what's in there.  You have to be brave to do this though, especially when it is costing more than a few dollars.  I will update you on this purchase later but if my hunch is right, this could be a valuable lot of jewelry.


Next is a vintage Chanel scarf.  Hello! These things sell for hundreds of dollars so of course I just had to get it.

Now this may be a dud or it may be something I pat myself on the back for.  I don't know which yet but am praying it's the latter.  I am not a golf aficionado but sports memorabilia possibly signed by Tiger Woods seemed like a good gamble at the time so I took a calculated risk.

And then there were these beautiful pieces.  They are gorgeous and were made in Ireland by a company called Belleek. I did some research and they are worth a lot more than I paid for them. Score!

And finally here is my favorite buy of the week.  Of course it's Art.  I don't know why but I saw these paintings and it was love at first sight.  They are really special.

And there you have it, my Goodwill shopping spree in a nutshell minus my victory dance and screaming when I lost or won a bid.  Really exciting stuff!  For the rest of the week though am going to be a good girl but next week who knows what Goodwill and I will get into......


Cherio!

Goodwill Hunting - Bargains For All!

When it comes to bargain shopping, I am like a lion on the Serengeti, I can stalk, hunt and negotiate with the best of them...........plus I totally enjoy the whole experience.  It is a great feeling to see your hard earned money go farther and accomplish much more than you expected.  It never gets old.


A few weeks ago, a very dear friend of mine sent me a link to www.shopgoodwill.com and as the saying goes "the rest is history".  I am obsessed with this site.   It is not just "a" goodwill shop, it is ALL of the goodwill shops in the US combined and available online.  Imagine that and I dare you not to get happy. 
From collectibles to Art, Sports memorabilia, vintage jewelry and so much more, you can find it all there on the site.  All you you need is a little patience to sort through the extensive listings.  Trust me, it pays off big time so take your time and have fun!


Once you find what you want, you can go ahead and bid on it. Just sign up/create an account which is a very easy process and you are ready to bargain!  After that, if you are the winning bidder on an item, once it is paid for, your purchase will be shipped to you.  Easy, peasy. This is perfect for anyone with an ebay business since you can buy collectibles for a good price and sell them over.  Check it out, it is so worth it.

All of the pieces shown in this post are items that I am bidding on or won already.  What do you think?

This is a very old oil painting, it is signed by the artist and worth a lot more than I paid for it. Cha ching!

This piece is a vintage necklace, the stones are glass set against a gold tone base.

This is a vintage still life I fell in love with, the colors are exquisite in this piece.

 

    And finally the piece de resistance, a Vintage Xinling Gorge Watercolor Scroll. I adore this piece. 

Cherio!

1930's Style - I Just Cant Get Enough!

I am seriously smitten with 1930's style furniture, fashion and design.  I mean seriously.  Perhaps because everything looked so luxurious and glam then.....and effort was put into even the most minute detail.

Amazing craftsmanship was the norm then too, and not just for the rich.  Though I wasn't born in that era it is definitely my favorite by far.  So what's a girl to do if she wants to find authentic 1930's pieces.....in 2011...and not have a cardiac arrest from the prices?

Well, here is what I do.  Two words, Craigslist and Ebay!  I stalk these sites like you won't believe.  Like "eye of the tiger", relentless.  After all, the very day I fail to check may be the day my dream piece is listed.  Just sayin. 

 There is no better example of this than the pictures below.  I had been looking for a real specific type of couch from the 1930's and I had searched for months and then bam!  (ha ha, yes I said bam)  It happened.  This gorgeous perfect couch that had all the elements I wanted. And trust me I am very nit picky, but that's another post entirely. 

This couch also came with a love seat. How neat is that!  

My favorite part is the tufted back and the gently sloped arms.  So classic, so 1930's lux.  Oh, and would you believe it's also extremely comfortable too? Yup, sure is. 

Another great feature of this couch is the legs.   Though you can't see it here, the legs are exactly like the modern reproduction below.  So, if I take of the skirt I will have a couch that has both modern and vintage elements. Perfect! 

Now that I have my couch, I am looking for a French Provential dresser like the one pictured here or similar.   I  am so excited to see what I will find.  Who knows....   One thing I do know for sure is, I will never, ever settle for less than what I really want.  This is a principal that I have applied to all aspects of my life,.  Be patient. Work hard. And go get it!  Period.

Cherio!