Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift and Consignment Store

My Bad!!

2012-01-15T09:20:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy with adding new merchandise I have not had time to update our Blog and have barely been able to keep up with our newsletter!

As soon as I finish with the next huge addition of merchandise, I will place my focus on this.

Until then, please enjoy our past Blogs.

How Low Can We Go?

2011-05-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I showcased an outfit on our Facebook page, and afterward I realized that the entire outfit would cost only $36.00 on our site. And we're talking about a Ralph Lauren skirt and top, White Mountain shoes, and a Sasha handbag. My initial thought was; I just can't do any better than that. Until I actually tried....

Before looking through our clothing on the site, I checked the Gap and Old Navy's sites to make sure what I chose will work with what's fashionable today. The good news is that styles are all over the place! Skirts are either mini or maxi or everything in between. Summer shorts are short-short, knee length, loose fitting, baggy, tight or skinnies. And tops, are tops. But before I could get started I happened to come across an impromptu survey on Facebook with the single question of: What makes the outfit, the jewelry or the shoes? As I would have answered, the results were pretty much split between the two with most answering both.

So armed with all this new information and the latest styles jumping around in my head, I set out to put a couple more outfits together including jewelry and shoes and hopefully keeping the price under the Facebook outfit of $36.00!

The first outfit I've planned can be worn to work and then later for some early evening playtime at dinner, drinks or? Cost for the three items: $19.00. I really liked the outfit, but after seeing all the browns together I decided we needed some color and chose one of our pendants priced at only $7.50. With the pendant, our total is still only $26.50 for all four items. Again, these are not cheaply manufactured items. The skirt is BCBG, the top is Max Studio and the shoes are Steve Madden.

BCBG Maxazria skirt, polyester and spandex, size M, dark brown, a-line, new-no tags, hip hugger elastic waistband, 24 inches, great for traveling -$8.00

Max Studio, print top, v-neck with elastic gathering, sleeveless, slightly flared hemline, size M, new-no tags-$6.00

Steve Madden, oh-so cute, dark brown, peep-toe retro wedge, leather uppers, synthetic and lightweight sole, size 7, new-no tags-$5.00

Gorgeous jigsaw abalone pendant, small bale for thinner chains, back side is solid white mother of pearl, the colors just dance when any light hits it, rectangular 1.5in, NEW - $7.50

Now how is that for a cute outfit?

And so far today I've 'spent' only $62.50 on two very versatile work outfits. Plus, both outfits could be changed up with different tops, or the tops with different bottoms and you'd have double the outfits.

Now let's pick something for your weekend play time. Below I've paired together OP Skimmer shorts with a white blouse by ie Relaxed and a pair of white sandals by Qupid. Then for a different look, I kept the blouse, but chose a pair of designer jeans and hot pink heels. With a bracelet added, the total for the shorts outfit came to $24.00. As you would suspect, the jeans outfit total is just a little more at $37.00, including the bracelet. It's not so much more as to be a deal breaker though!

OP Tie Bottom Skimmer shorts, Bermuda length, cotton, 5 pockets, extra buttons, waist tie, size 13, new with tags - $5.00

i.e. Relaxed, light weight cotton blouse, accent of baste stitch in beige on seams, throw on a pair of jeans and you're set to go, size 14, like new -$8.00

All New Qupid White Women Flat Sandal, lots of sexy straps, with heel and ankle support, man made materials, size 7, see on Amazon for $17.99 -Our price-$7.00

Wood bracelet wrapped with coordinating colors of twine to match the hot pink, small bead added for Bling effect, hot pink is a go with anything summer and a great color for spring, 2.5in inside diameter, NEW -$4.00

JAG Jeans- 5 pocket stretch jeans are a product of Australia and have the reputation of being the best fitting jeans ever, size 10, straight leg, jag infamous stitching on rear pockets, new-no tags-Retails for $100 plus.-$20.00

Chinese Laundry-dramatic ankle strap with closed heel and open toe, hot pink leather uppers, scrape on one toe and on one heel, 3 1/2 inch heel, otherwise like new, size 7 M -$5.00

I guess we found out just how low we can go.

Seriously? Collecting Again?

2011-02-16T14:39:00.000-08:00

Ordinarily I would have moved on to a new subject in this issue, but when I came across some information that validated what I wrote last month, I just had to share.

To remind you: Last month's Blog was about collecting and collections and I chose the subject primarily to draw attention to our collector plates. I really had a feeling they just might be making a comeback and when you read the following paragraph you'll see how right I am:

"Plates hanging on the wall are the newest decorating idea to be revived according to the Financial Times “How To Spend It” section. It’s a copy of an idea using many plates to make one picture, an idea created by Piero Fornasetti in the 1950s. One of my friends has a Fornesetti woman on the wall made of 11 plates. It’s quite a conversation piece. But hanging plates in unusual patterns instead of neat rows may be a new use for limited edition plates that were so popular (and are now so hard to sell!) in the 1970s and 1980s. Clever placement will create a modern-looking wall decoration."

I don't know how I do it, but somehow I am very often far ahead of the decorating trends. I can cite many times when I came up with a decorating idea only to learn that it was next to impossible to find the things I needed to make my ideas come to life. Often times, it wasn't until the designers came up with "my" ideas that I was finally able to move forward. Seriously! Case in point: The last time I was passionate about a design trend was in the early '90's when I wanted to decorate a room in the nautical look. I searched everywhere for anything that even remotely looked like it pertained to a ship, to no avail. After a year or so I finally found a cool, yet expensive sail boat at Bombay and a short time later I found a couple of other items to help fill in. Pretty soon I was finding all sorts of nautical looking items I could use. Of course, after I had all I needed I finally moved on and in the end, sold everything on Once in a Blue Moon some 15 years later. So if I'm so good, why can't I predict the lottery numbers?

Here's a decorating trend I didn't see coming: Skateboards. They're predicted to become as popular as decorated surfboards currently selling to collectors for hundreds of dollars. Skateboards are often personal and include messages about politics, favored personalities, or attractive views of nature. I think either one would make perfect wall art in a kids room or den and especially for beach living.

I have to admit too that I have not heard the term "steampunk" before, and maybe I'm not alone, but apparently there's a whole movement out there. From what I understand "steampunk" is a "futuristic style that blends a view of the Victorian past with the technology of the present. Dress like a Victorian dandy while using a computer keyboard made of typewriter parts. The result is a modern folk art style that is already mentioned in art history alongside Goth and the psychedelic designs of the punk rock world."

I don't think this new movement could be all that new since the 'movers' are enjoying conventions and meetings already. So where have I been? The designs are truly mind blowing though and of course clearly they're all a form of art work, whether for design or for use. For example; shown here is a keyboard converted from a typewriter, and an iPhone. It's so fascinating to see what people can come up with in this day and age. Really, when you have time you should do a Google search for "Steampunk" and check out all that's out there. You'll be completely amazed.

So just when I thought how smart I was to have come up with ideas on decorating before they became mainstream, I found that I wasn't so smart after all. There's a plethora of way smarter people than I am. Hmmm...Now that's a real 'DUH' statement!!!

Collecting, Collections, and Collectibles-Just to Start

2011-01-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

Collecting. I looked the word up in Wikipedia to learn the true meaning and found a whole page of information. I could offer up more, but I'm giving you only a glimpse into Wikipedia's way with words: "The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. The items collectors collect may be antique, or simply collectible." Or and according to me, they may simply be something the collector really likes and are objects that are not popular with the general public right now.

Why I'm mentioning the art of collecting is because we've had collector plates on our site for the last 8 1/2 years and it seems that in recent years, and I'm sure this is mainly due to the economy, collecting plates seems like it's no longer a favorite past time. Or is it?

Case in point: I was watching a TV show recently and because I always like to look at the background to see decorating styles I noticed two Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates hanging on the wall in one scene. Even though it was on TV, I could still see how those two plates of royal blue warmed that room right up. Now of course that got me to thinking how I should be promoting our category for collector plates since maybe people are starting to reinvest in plates. I mean real estate doesn't seem to be working. :)

The very next day and before I had an opportunity to do anything about promoting our collector plates, an order came through for two of our Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates! Seriously! I didn't want to sound stupid and ask her, but I really did wonder if she watched the same show I had the night before.

Royal Copenhagen plates are only the tip of the ice berg in plate collecting. As you can see from our site alone, plate collecting runs the gamut of subjects. Good thing too, as I read recently that there's a strong interest in space collectible of all kinds. For instance, Star Trek and Star Wars memorabilia, robots and space guns. We can't help with the robots or space guns, we do have one of the Star Wars collector plates. It's the 25th Anniversary plate from 1991 by Thomas Blackshear and is also considered to be a rare item.

I also read that the following inexpensive collectibles may grow in value: Bookmarks, knitting and crochet instructions and equipment, cuff links, sample bottles, souvenir dish towels, American Girl doll accessories. Kitchen utensils of all kinds, from the '30s to the '90s. Also cookie cutters, aprons and printed '50s and '60s tablecloths. Bobbin'-head dolls of sports stars and celebrities. Just to name a few of the long list of items.

Other trends mentioned to watch for a rise in values are on soda bottles and milk bottles with enameled lettering. Motorcycle memorabilia - posters, toys, patches, badges are hot! Toys and mechanical cast-iron banks continue to go up in price.

So whether you're collector or you happen to own any one of the items listed above, you definitely have reason to investigate things further.

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, it made me think of some of the items we have on the site that clearly could relate to the holiday. For example this little angel reminds me of the holiday. We also have some cute items in our jewelry category that are new, and are good to go for gift ideas.

Speaking of jewelry, in the next few weeks we'll be adding some really neat and brand new jewelry pieces. All of the rings and pendants we had on the site recently have already sold out so we'll be bringing in some more designs, as well as a couple of bracelets and the very cool Swarovski crystal butterfly headband shown here. When it goes on the site whoever gets to it first will very lucky, as it comes direct from Australia. Or maybe this cool Swarovski crystal bracelet interests you more? They aren't on the site yet, so stop drooling.

So we've given you a little sneak preview into the jewelry we'll be adding, but the merchandise recently added to the site is just as exciting! Our Home Decor category is now 3 full pages and if we add one more item we'll be adding another page to accommodate it. You'll find that most of the items in Home Decor are brand new and most will certainly fall under the category of uniqueness! (Example at right!)

Housewares is another category that grew these last few weeks. To accommodate everything new we even had to add another page to bring us up to 5 pages filled with all this cool stuff. You have to admit that it isn't every day you'll see a cake pan shaped like a football stadium! Just in time for the Super Bowl, I'd say.

Whether you're a collector or just enjoy having beautiful things around you, today I think you'll find whatever you're looking for when you visit us. At least I hope so.

How To Look Thinner Before You Lose a Pound!!

2010-12-26T13:02:00.001-08:00

Did you stuff yourself over the holidays and now you're wondering how you can lose those extra pounds before New Years Eve? Truth is, unless you spend a week at the gym and starve yourself you probably can't lose all you need.

Really, I'm no expert on weight loss since I'm 20+ lbs overweight myself and for me it took a lot longer to put it on than just overeating during the holidays. Actually, I'm starting with Curves in January and I'm thinking I probably won't be alone. Every woman in America who gained some excess weight this year probably made a New Year's resolution to lose it just like I did and will be joining me at Curves or their gym of preference. (And this is not an ad for Curves.)

Back on subject: I scoured the web and found a lot of great ideas to make yourself look thinner while you work on shedding the extra pounds. And why not at least give the illusion of having a model's perfect body while you're working hard to get there?

The How-to-look slimmer tips that follow were written by Jennifer R. Scott for About.com:

1. If you’re pear-shaped, be sure to choose jeans that provide an easy fit. Loose-fitting styles won't be clingy. Tight jeans are the last thing we pears need!
Look for slightly flared hems or boot-cut styles. Both will detract attention away from pears’ problem areas -- the thighs, saddlebags and derriere.

2. Boat neck necklines, have a slimming effect on the upper body.

3. Pulling your hair up and away from your shoulders will peel away pounds. Try sweeping your hair into a high ponytail and you'll be surprised at how much slimmer your face looks.

Wispy bangs make a round face seem less so. Loose curls and waves can also have a slimming effect, so consider a body wave. Chunky highlights on the sides of your face will elongate it.

4. Not only are vertical-and pin-stripes slimming, but asymmetrical stripes such as miter stripe blouses and tunics also work. They have a lengthening effect on your upper body.

5. A sheer blouse over a matching opaque tank skims the body so your entire silhouette looks slimmer.

6. If you worry about your waistline, try some jeans or pants that sit low on your hips, as they will slenderize your trouble spot. Slacks that have a waist that hit just below your navel will make your midriff seem longer and slimmer.

7. If you're burdened with a belly bulge, choose relaxed fit jeans. The elasticized waist may help tame that bothersome tummy. Pleat-fronted pants will balloon your middle, so they're a definite don't. Flat front and side-zip styles are a do.

Always remember that over sized clothes don't help camouflage problem areas. Excess fabric only makes you look bulkier. Don't try to hide under your clothes!

Last, but not least, everyone has a feature they know works for them. Instead of always focusing on covering up what you don't like, learn to flaunt what you do.
For example, a sleeveless dress will make everyone notice your awesome arms; a shorter-length skirt will draw attention to a great pair of gams.

You will feel so much better about how you look if you spend as much time focusing on the positive as you do hiding your figure flaws!

If you didn't find anything in the preceding list, maybe the next list will help. The following is written by Jennifer Kwiatek, Editor for AOL:

The Art of Misdirection

Magicians use sleight of hand to manipulate an object in front of an audience. This concept of misdirection can be used to draw people's attention to a certain part of your body. For instance, if you want to draw attention away from hips or a belly, look for interesting necklines, large collars and eye-catching necklaces. Get more visual bang for your buck with a necklace or scarf that drapes in a long u-shape. This will elongate the torso and give a slimming look.

Proportions

You always want to accentuate your smallest part by pairing loose clothing with fitted pieces. So definitely choose a curve-hugging black pencil skirt, but be sure to pair it with a relaxed cardigan. Likewise, if you opt for wide-leg pants, then a fitted shirt would match beautifully.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

Tyra Banks talks about modeling from H-to-T (head-to-toe) and the same logic is true for the way you dress. Shoes and other accessories can make all the difference when you are dressing 10 pounds lighter. Heels are a sure way to elongate your body visually, but pointed-toe shoes also help to continue that line even further making you look tall and thin. Nude shoes (when paired with bare legs or skin-tone tights) make your legs look like they go for miles and miles. A low-scooped shoe will lengthen the body where ankle-strap shoes and booties cut the line of the body making you look short.

Lady in Red

We've all heard that black is slimming, so why not dress in all black? That's fine once in awhile, but who wants to dress in head-to-toe black all the time? The next best color is red. I know this sounds completely absurd, but scarlet hues soak in light and will naturally accent you in all the right places, while giving you a huge confidence boost in the process. Just be sure to prepare yourself for all the compliments you'll be getting.

Petite Prints

Prints can be tricky since they don't camouflage as well as solids. Don't stay away from prints completely though, when paired with dark solid pieces you can create a knockout look that's sure to turn heads. If you are hesitant to dress in prints, try a scarf or handbag with a bold pattern and test the waters.

Go Monotone

Dressing within the same color family is trendy right now, not to mention incredibly slimming. Match pants, shirt, tights and shoes in the same hue and look 10 pounds lighter instantly. Try a deep plum, chocolate, or charcoal to mix up the traditional black combo that is used so often. If going to the dark side is a bit of a stretch for you, add punches of color with a bold necklace, or eye-catching pumps.

Time to Shape Up

Shapewear might be one of the most brilliant fashion inventions ever. If you are looking for a shirt to slim arms, tights to give your booty a boost, or a solution for the ol' muffin top dilemma, there is a shapeware product. Spanx is my favorite solution for tummy slimming and lifting buns and now they have tights in all new colors and patterns. Hip-T takes care of several issues, including bum cleavage, muffin top, thong cameo appearances and creating layers without bulk. Squeezy Tees makes your arms look thin and tone, so you can do the pageant wave to your heart's content.

Whittle Your Waist

Belts are essential to showcasing your waist. Look for belts that pull you in, but still have some stretch. Opt for a thicker cinch belt that will make more of a visual impact and really define an hourglass figure.

Hips Don't Lie

Jackets and cardigans that hit at your waist will make you appear short and wide. Instead, look for jackets and cardigans that hit at the hip in order to make your torso look long and lean. This is one of my favorite visual tricks. If the cardigan is thin enough you can even accessorize with a wide cinch belt for the ultimate look.

Time to Wrap It Up

Blouses and dresses that wrap are by far the best pieces of clothing to visually looking thinner. Look for structure, like darts at the bust and seaming that will visually make all the right kind of curves. Wraps will also cinch in the waist either along the natural waist-line or just above it making you look itty bitty. And who doesn't love that? The wrap works on every single body type, so make sure you have this staple in your wardrobe. (The red dress shown above is also an example of a dress that wraps)

I hope you found something you could relate to in this information so you'll look thinner before you ever lose a pound!

Isn't it great that the Holidays come around just once a year?

2010-12-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

I usually always try to start this blog with an idea in my head about what I'm going to say. This time though my mind is blank and ironically when I opened up the page to start writing, while hoping some idea would form, there was only a blank page sitting in front of me. I don't know what I thought I would be seeing instead, but I know a page as blank as my mind wasn't on the list.

Speaking of lists; how is your Christmas list coming along? Have you been able to find everything yet? I have a short one this year, and even at that I'm still not finished.

For those of you who would like some ideas on what to get, I can help you out. Our store is suddenly packed full of great gift ideas, some of which probably wouldn't even be on your radar, but are still fantastic ideas.

Take for example this Lenox-Hummingbird Limited edition trinket box. It comes with the certificate and the original box. Priced at only $20, this would be the perfect gift for someone in your family, or even your co-worker or boss.

I just accidentally posted this blog and it isn't finished. Good grief! Where is my head this morning? Now I'm going to have to rush through this so it will have some substance and not just three paragraphs.

Okay, the next item I'd like to show you is the Charles Dickens-A Christmas Carol, copyright 1927 book. Granted, it is old and therefore not in very good condition, however; how many 83 year old books like this could you find stamped with "Twentieth Century Pictures Property Dept?" Not many, I'm sure.
Priced at $20

I personally think jewelry will always make a big hit as a gift. We have so many new items I couldn't list them all. Suffice to say, they're inexpensive, they're new, they're modern and they're just fabulous! Okay if you insist, I'll show you one! This faceted black onyx pendant shown on the left is set in .925 sterling silver made with a large bail to accept thicker chains, and has a thick lacy design around stone. It's 1.75 inches and is new. Through Christmas it's priced at only $8.00. We also have a sleek design black onyx pendant if you don't like the facet look. I'm stopping here, but it doesn't mean you have to stop. We have loads of new jewelry and in all price ranges. You are bound to find something you could give. And we can reduce shipping in this category. Just ask us how!

In our Purses, Bags and Accessories category, you will find almost every type of bag you could ever want. Except maybe for designer label bags. Almost all of the bags are brand new, and in some cases are even custom made. The tote shown here is a gorgeous cranberry red synthetic velvet that couldn't be any more perfect for the season. It's hand made, double stitched with a nice size extra pocket on the inside. It's priced at only $14.50.

As much as I would love to continue coming up with gift ideas for you, I think you'll have more fun looking for yourself. Isn't half that half the thrill of shopping?

I'm fairly certain I will not be back for another post before Christmas, so I will take this opportunity to wish you and yours the very best for all the holidays!

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

2010-11-05T09:16:00.001-07:00

But I did promise I would post Thanksgiving decorating ideas before the big day and with only three weeks to go, I'm putting everything else aside so I can keep my promise.

For expediency I decided to use my own home and the decorations I've made over the years to show you that you really don't need expensive decorating items to bring the colors of the season into your home. That said, you will soon notice, like probably most of you, I am not an interior decorator by any stretch of the imagination. I do try my best though and I also use some of the tips I find in magazines or wherever and then ultimately go with what I like.

I've found too that after a year of being stored away, I sometimes have to either buy new foliage or maybe tweak some of my decorations to make them look fresh again. So if you're into decorating, you'll find it's a continual slice of enjoyment for you.

The first area I tackled this year was the dining room table. I happened upon an inexpensive tablecloth at WalMart (I think it was $4.00) and then went hunting for some fall leaves, also found at WalMart for a little over a dollar. The bowl that always sits on the table is usually reserved for fresh fruit when in season or when not in season, I'll throw in some of the paper mâché fruit I keep in reserve. To add the fall colors I tore apart the sprig of leaves I bought at WalMart and stuck them haphazardly into the bowl while letting some of the grapes and other fruit items I already had show through. Nothing fancy, yet because of the colors I used you know fall is here.

On our island in the kitchen, I usually have a large size butcher block cutting board sitting next to the knives so I need only reach over and grab a knife for any chopping task I might have. Of course now the best use of space sort of flies out the window for a few months while I take the liberty to decorate for the holidays. In this case, I simply moved the cutting board over to another counter so I could use this focal point in the kitchen to show fall was here. I first located a nice glass dish that's really a serving platter and just started loading it up with fall looking items: A couple of tall candles, a gourd or two, some fall leaves, and a couple of scented pie candles I found at the drug store for $1.50 each. The spicy scent was heavenly for the first few days, but now you have to bend down and take a whiff to get the benefit. Before Halloween, I added a couple of ceramic ghosts and a ceramic pumpkin that actually made the arrangement look much cuter than it does now.

On this counter I have a tall thin scarecrow (some years I have him standing in the center of the island decoration) and a basket filled with fall items. Again, for Halloween I sat a stuffed ghost on the edge of the basket. Nothing new was purchased.

Before you arrive at our front door you're greeted on the right by our resident scarecrow who hangs around during the season. He was once one of those scarecrows with a stick attached so you can put him in the ground. The stick broke, so I removed the remains and simply attached him to the fence.

I made the wreath that hangs on the front door a few years ago. I bought a grapevine wreath and a few bunches of flowers from the dollar store. I tore the flowers and leaves apart and using a glue gun attached them to the wreath. I bought a feathered bird from some place and attached it as an accent. The only thing missing is some Spanish Moss that would help fill in some bare spots.

During the Christmas season our decorations are spread throughout the house, but during this fall season I confine everything to just the kitchen and outdoor areas. With the exception of the transformation of our guest bathroom. At this stage, I simply change out the (do not use) towels in our guest bathroom from the spring/summer colors to the fall/winter darker tones. When I decorate for Christmas, I'll tie a sprig of holly or something around the towels and will place holiday items where ever space will allow. (By the way; the pictures hanging on the wall normally do not look tweaked. It must be the angle of the photo or something.)

Again, you don't have to be an interior decorator to add 'signs' of the changing seasons to your home. You also don't need a bunch of money if you just allow yourself to think outside of the box.

Boo Hoo...Halloween is almost here!

2010-10-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Another year has slipped away and all in a blink of the Jack 'O Lantern's eye. And you have to know what's coming next right? I won't even say the words. A picture is worth so much more!

Instead of discussing my favorite subject; Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift and Consignment Store, I thought I would use this space to bring you a few decorating ideas for Halloween. I think it'll be more fun for all of us!

To that end, I scoured the Internet to see what I could find in the way of Halloween decorations and think I did a pretty good job. As you'll see I kept it on the tasteful side with none of the typical scary scenes usually associated with the holiday. Plus, these ideas are cute and not that expensive to pull off.

Outside decorating:
If you have a large porch you may opt to have more than one theme: one scary and the other autumn decorations intertwined with Halloween decorations. Use your yard to create a graveyard or similar scene that leads to the haunted porch.
No matter the size of your porch, lighting can have dramatic effects. Use low lighting but make sure the area is safe. You can use Halloween lighting on the railings or under the eaves of your porch.

I found a really neat gardening blog authored by "Dirt Princess". After having to toss out the fresh pumpkins on her porch due to high humidity, she came up with the idea of putting foam pumpkins on the porch.

She marked "BOO" on these pumpkins in fancy writing using permanent markers. Aren't they cute?

And better yet, she can just turn the pumpkins around and they can last through Thanksgiving!

Thank you Ms. Dirt Princess for your wonderful gardening blog. Love it.

Old standbys still look great. Use bails of straw, some well-placed corn stalks, and a pumpkin or two to create your Halloween look.
Mums not only are great for fall but work great for Halloween as well. You can place them strategically on steps, railings, or even in hanging planters. Don't forget Casper the friendly ghost. Not all Halloween caricatures have to be ghouls. Use happy ghosts and other figures to give your porch a fun new look.

You can also create seating areas with bales of straw or use them for tables and decorate with pumpkins and other objects.

Again, lights can play a major role. Use them to highlight your Halloween decorations. Spot lights with blue or even black lights will do the trick. And your decorations do not have to be elaborate. Keep it simple and still look good for the season.

Now let's move inside and see what else we can scare up:

Create arrangements in corners, on tables, chairs etc, of Halloween themed objects:
◦pumpkins
◦witches
◦skulls
◦cats
◦ghosts
◦etc

Decorate oranges with a felt pen, for effective and fun, decorative ‘mini pumpkins’.

Make a pumpkin centerpiece
1.CHOOSE a pumpkin, then find a vase or glass that’s shorter and several inches smaller in diameter. (Or substitute floral foam for a vase.) Invert the vase on top of the pumpkin, over the stem, and trace around it.
2.CARVE slightly outside that line with a knife. Lift the top and scoop out pulp and seeds, like you’re carving a jack-o’-lantern.
3.FILL vase half full with water, then place it inside the pumpkin.
4.SELECT seasonal flowers for your arrangement, such as dahlias or mums. Trim stems so they are several inches longer than the pumpkin is tall, and arrange in vase.

I personally like this tasteful look of natural and painted pumpkins spilling out of the fireplace and into the room. You could even keep this look through Thanksgiving if you wanted.

And speaking of Thanksgiving, we'll be back with some more decorating ideas for you before the holiday and will also give you some Christmas gift ideas you can find at our store!

We Sold a Cookbook the Other Day!

2010-09-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

Your initial thought might be, "Yeah, so what's the big deal about selling a cookbook?" and maybe 3 or 4 years ago that would be a legitimate question. Not any more. The Internet, Blogs, Kindle, the I-Pad and even television have taken over the written word in such a huge way that you have to wonder what Barnes & Noble and Borders are doing to stay in business.

I personally refuse to read a book on any of the new devices, but that's not saying much since I haven't read a book in 3 years anyway. I have to admit too that if I want to know how to cook something I no longer refer to any of the many cookbooks I keep around for decorations. Instead I run right to my computer and look up what I need and probably quicker than if I did grab a cookbook.

If I sound like nothing but doom and gloom for the book industry, read on:

I started thinking more about books and the industry and then did some more research into it and the story might not be as sad as it may seem. I'm finding that books remain a very viable solution to many of our daily situations. For example; schools still use books for teaching, moreover there are probably a gazillion or so children's books being sold and truthfully, Barnes & Noble and Borders are still selling something off those shelves of theirs.

So then what am I trying to say?

Could it be that I'm only sniveling because our books haven't been selling lately and if that's all it is, then why the heck haven't they sold?

What's it gonna' take anyway? Does a FIRST EDITION from 1922 by E. B. Knipe and A. A. Knipe tittled The Flower of Fortune? in fantastic shape interest you? You sure won't find that at the big box book store!

Nor would you find this book on Marilyn Monroe titled Norma Jean by Fred Lawrence Guiles, with a 1969 copyright on the shelves at a Barnes & Noble.

Listing all of our books would be foolish, so hopefully what's shown here is enough to entice you. If you're a book collector you've already gone to check our on selection. If you aren't, you might want to consider taking book collecting up as a hobby since you never know when they may become obsolete.

Final thought: You know that cookbook that sold the other day? It wasn't just any old cookbook. It was really quite expensive, very cool and very old. Our customer knew a good buy too when she saw it.

I love Consignment Stores

2010-09-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

In the beginning.....oh wait..different story....

When we first launched our online store, we sold only items we acquired through our own various means. Then after a couple of years we started receiving emails asking if we sell things on consignment. (Apparently our customers are smarter than we are) We eventually got the hint and opened up the consignment side of our business.

It's been another couple of years since then and we think we made the right decision. In some cases we are giving struggling artists across the country their first opportunity at selling their designs. What always comes to mind when a new consignor and their designs join our family is whether or not they'll turn out to be the next Kenneth Jay Lane in jewelry design.

Truthfully, not all of our jewelry designers fall into the ranks of a Kenneth Jay Lane creation, but at least the artists we showcase have their creative juices flowing and who knows what can happen with them in the future?

Right now for instance, we have Cute as a Button earrings listed for sale at only $2.00. These cute little earrings would make great stocking stuffers, teacher's gift, co-worker gift, or maybe just a small token of your friendship to someone.

As you will see, we currently have a unique cross selection of items designed and hand made by our consignors. For example and even though we covered some of the jewelry made with the healing stones in our last Blog, I'd like to show off some of the other designs available from this artist. The necklace to the right is made of Hematite with a colored crystal accent. Again, the Hematite is a powerful stone in that it helps to enhance personal magnetism, optimism, will, and courage. It is also said to be a good healing and grounding stone, as it strengthens the body and improves resistance to life's stresses. And finally Hematite inspires inner life and helps to keep inward peace.

Here is yet another hand made consignment item and a such great way to show your support for our troops. Troop Bracelets made by an Army wife who is a is a stay-at-home mother of 3 boys and who after caring for her family takes the time to design and make bracelets. On a personal level, bracelets and rings are her two favorite pieces of jewelry to wear. Each of her bracelets are hand-made of 550 cord, and each knot on the bracelet represents a fallen soldier. The button securing the ends represents the uniform they wear. There are 3 color combinations.

Changing course a bit, we have another consignor who loves to paint. She paints in acrylics mostly and get this... on sand paper. It's been hard for us to keep up with her and her latest techniques; one being the newest craze in the art world of ACEO cards. To the right is an example of one of her ACEO cards of a French Jumeau doll. These cards are playing card size and the fun is trading them like you would baseball cards. Using acrylics, she also painted the Folk Art on wood to the left. I love Folk Art for it's nostalgic look back at our humble American beginnings.
The pumpkin patch scene to the right was painted with acrylic paints on sandpaper. A 'rough' technique wouldn't you say? Seriously speaking, the sandpaper gives the painting a great texture. Her primitive artwork is beginning to get some notice now after selling on eBay and we can see why.

Moving on to other types of consignor merchandise: Currently on the site we have some awesome Norman Rockwell collectible figurines dating back 30 plus years. Anything having to do with Norman Rockwell and The Danbury Mint is always a treasure in my book!

Looking for shoes? Boy have we got a selection for you and only because of our consignment merchandise! We have shoes in various sizes and for the ladies, children, pre-teens, boys, girls, casual and of course dress. In other words, there's something for everyone. Check out these heels by Nina: Fabric outer, closed heel and open toe. Stylish and sexy enough to go with any solid colored outfit; suit or dress.

Clothing is one of our biggest sellers and as soon as you review the category you'll see why. Our prices are good, and we like to list items that are in either good, meaning they still have a long life ahead or in like new condition, where you can't tell if they've ever been worn and the chances are they haven't. Oh and we also love the "New with tags" merchandise! Again, our size are all over the place. Maybe not so much in the Plus size category, (We do have a few items, thanks to our consignors) but we have many items in the small, medium and large categories both in career and casual clothing. By the way; the outfit to the left is by Norton, and is a newly listed size 12, two piece with the tags still in place. Priced at only $15.00.

Clearly we can't show you everything we have listed on the site. My goal was to only give you a quick little peek into what we have listed from our consignors. I'd say we've got some pretty cool stuff! Wouldn't you?

And now you know why I love Consignment Stores!

We've Got Healing Powers!

2010-07-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

After creating a new category devoted to custom designed jewelry I thought it was about time to let you all in on it.

Currently we have only one designer showcased in our new custom designed jewelry category. (You can find other custom designs throughout our Jewelry Category.) We chose John C, to showcase because his jewelry designs consists of stones that are said to have healing powers. And I think we all need some sort of healing done at least once in our lifetime!

Since adding John's work I've done a little bit of nosing around the mystical metaphysical world, just to gain some understanding of the healing powers of these gems and stones. What I learned is that for centuries people have looked to items of the earth to help heal and guide them through illness and other types of turmoil. The use of stones for their healing powers was first recorded during the early Egyptian era. However, it wasn't until the Roman times that scholars began recording the effects and beliefs of the healing power of stones in detail. Since then, the practice has been both questioned and supported by different groups around the world. Could a simple stone heal such ailments as anemia and liver failure? Many believe so, and as such, wear the different gems and stones to help treat and prevent a wide variety of afflictions.

I personally do not have any first hand knowledge of the healings that go on with any particular stone, but have to believe it happens since there are so many testaments on the subject. And after reading the following description for the Hematite stone, who wouldn't want to have it doing it's thing on us?

Hematite is said to be slightly grounding, reduces stress, enhances personal magnetism, optimism, will, and courage. A stone for the mind it helps one to realize that the only limitations which exist are self-limiting concepts within the mind. Hematite stimulates attainment of peace, self-control, and inner happiness. Balances yin-yang energies. Assists in the focusing of energy and emotions for balance between the body, mind, and spirit. Helps transform negativity to the purity of the universal light of love.

I need all of the above please. And I guess I can have it with the Hematite bracelet shown here. Another stone said to have powers that I think I would like is the Tiger Eye. Check this out:

Tiger Eye-brings inner peace; stimulates wealth; builds self-reliance; gives courage; helps make wise decisions; aids in sensing what is good and what is evil; has wearer open one’s eyes to see our world as a child; brings color to a black and white world; stimulates wealth and maintains it; produces soothing vibrations generating a calmness to unsettled turmoil; (red) excellent stone for public oratory and presentations; enhances confidence in oneself.

Okay, add this one to my shopping cart too! Personally, I would much rather wear a bracelet that supposedly will do all that these two stones profess to doing than to buy and take some wonder drug said to give the same results.

Also, what makes these two bracelets so great, besides their powers of course, is the colors of the stones. Both bracelets will pretty much blend with any outfit you wear so you never have to take it off. (I don't think you would want to anyway if you need the stone to work for you.)

So both bracelets are priced at $10.99 each, which is almost half of what John sell them for in his shop in Arizona. And with our shipping charges at $4.95 on every order during the month of July, you just can't pass up this deal. As I said before; I think spending less than $20 on a bracelet is way better than spending more for some 'feel good ' drug. Oh and don't think you're limited to the two bracelets shown here! We have many other bracelets and even necklace sets designed by John C. that are equally as powerful to our psyche as the two shown here.

Stop by for a visit, won't you?

Decorating for Summer

2010-06-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

If you need inpiration to come up with a new decor idea, why not use the season's bright summer dresses, endless blue skies, beach vacations, casual camp style and sunny hues? These rooms just cry out Summer Time:

Texture and varied sizes create the best vignette.

A piece of coral is an unexpected addition to turquoise-blue vintage pottery vases atop a rustic hutch.

Go For A Beach Glass Look
Make a style statement with environmentally friendly recycled glass.

Glasses and vases in watery blues and greens add seaside breeziness to a room.

Add Some Driftwood
Reclaimed beams along the headboard, rustic floorboards and a driftwood bedside table add a natural, raw look.

Fresh white walls and pretty patterned bed linens add a feminine touch to the industrial reading lamps and unfinished wood beams.

Try A Juicy Citrus Palette
Pattern and fresh hues add a twist of fun to a grand room.

With its sea-glass-inspired shades, this space couldn't possibly be more soothing. The ceiling is painted in Benjamin Moore Serenity (2055-60) to mimic the sky, while the walls are coated in Fresh Cut Grass (2026-50). Ceiling-height drapes trimmed in the room's two signature colours make for an unexpected detail and a David Hicks rug adds a hit of geometric print.

Go For Cottage Chic
The antique looking faucets and lights and bright colour scheme in this design appeals to girls, boys and adults alike.

Vintage pieces, lakeside hues and beadboard paneling evoke fond camp and cottage memories.

Signal Summer With Wicker
A patterned screen, bright colours and painted furniture give this living room design bohemian flair.

Vintage wicker is a hot find these days and it’s easy to breathe new life into second-hand pieces with paint. Glossy black lacquer paint revitalizes this sofa set while reupholstered cushions, covered in a bold patterned fabric, create a look that’s fresh and current.

Bring the outdoors in. Or take the indoors out. Or just meet in the middle.

2010-04-10T11:29:00.001-07:00

Until a few years ago, I always thought of the patio as a place to barbeque and sometimes eat, but only when you had friends over. As a family I do not recall eating a meal at our patio set, yet I always made sure we had one available... just in case. I even had place mats and/or table cloths on the table just to be decorator chic. Of course before we could actually sit at the table to eat, the napery would have to be scrubbed to remove all of the dust and dirt from being out in the elements for months at a time. So maybe that's why we never ate outside on our patio. It was way too much work.

Everyone's thinking changed about outdoor eating when someone, obviously a genius, came up with the idea of incorporating the outdoors with the indoors, or visa versa. Their idea was to make the experience of walking outside feel like you were still inside. And in California it works most of the year.

During the dead heat of summer though it is like an oven on our patio. The air just sits there and even the misting system has little effect. To that point; last summer it was so hot on our patio that it melted two of the large candles I placed in metal hanging containers. The containers originally held mossy stuff for plants and yet my eyes stripped that all away allowing me to envision them as candle holders. When I came up with the idea, I really didn't think we'd light the candles because of the chance of fire. I really only wanted the suggestion of the ambiance the candles offer. It worked too, because they did look really great.... that is until the first summer heatwave. Now both candles are melted into the metal of the container and unless and until it gets as hot as it was last summer, they'll stay that way.

Okay, so all decorating ideas don't have to go as badly as mind did. To prove it, I did an internet search and found other ideas that are probably already tested for hot weather melting:

Fill your patio with plants and flowers. Use various mediums: ceramic pots, tiered plant stands or hanging planters. Choose luscious green plants and vibrant flowers that are appropriate for the amount of sunlight or shade they will receive.

Paint the concrete to create a marble or brick effect, or use stencils to create your own unique design. If painting isn't for you, lay down a colorful, oversized outdoor rug.

Add or replace patio furniture. Find a cute little bistro table and chairs set or a wooden glider for those lazy summer evenings. Choose pieces depending on how you intend to use your patio.

String up Christmas lights or specialty shaped lights to add a dramatic flare to your patio space. Or suspend a few hanging lanterns from the porch overhang for an instant exotic touch.

Accessorize your space with a serene fountain or a warm and inviting chiminea.

Section off your patio with a trellis and plant box filled with a climbing plant. This will give you a private nook as a seating area or a place to hang a hammock.

Get creative with your plant holders. Look for unusual items that you can use either to hold a potted plant or to actually plant something in, such as an old boot.

Extend the life of patio furniture that you already have by painting it or adding new cushions. Give it a new look to match the theme you have chosen for your patio.

There are thousands of ideas to be found that can help you get started on making your patio area your own personal oasis. And as you can see from some of the photos, your patio does not have to be covered, nor do you need to have it look like a Mediterranean show place. Personally, I prefer functional and homey to an eleborate setting. Really you should take some time to look at photos of decorated patios and I'm sure you'll come up with something that's right for you to bring the outdoors in, or take the indoors out, or maybe just to meet in the middle.

Repurposing

2010-03-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

After accidentally breaking off the handle on a cute Easter bucket I've had for years, I decided to keep it to see if I could find another use for a yellow and blue bucket. (Not) As usual, my thoughts begin on one subject and then they start to wander off. This time I was led to thinking about how often we all have an item that we'll tire of and if we think for a minute we'll find another use for it. Or I guess I should be using the newer buzz word: we'll Repurpose it.

As an example; what do you do with that ragged old terry cloth towel that's ripped in several places and has no fluffiness left? Do you throw it away, or do you put in with all of your other rags? I'm sure 99% of the time the towel will find its way into the rag bin and as such it will become a Repurposed item! Of course there are tons of other uses for an old towel especially if you're crafty.

How about Repurposing old table cloths or even napkins from the 40's or 50's? You know the ones with stains so bad you can't get them out, or holes you can't repair? They can be cut, sewn, decorated with bows, buttons and lace and made into Lavender Sachets for your drawers. I love the nostalgic look. I think I may have lived once back then because I feel so attached and to the 40's especially. No, I'm not Shirley McLaine. I'm just saying though....

We've probably all used an unusual looking bottle as a vase when nothing else would do. In fact, years ago I purchased a spray-on glass paint and Repurposed a cognac bottle by spray painting it to match our decor. It looked cool too because the paint left an opaque finish instead of a solid one that spray enamel paint would leave.

Old egg cartons can come in handy for storing jewelry in a drawer or cabinet. Another way to store jewelry could also be in a plastic ice-cube tray if you happen to still have one available.

Although a little off base from the other Repurposing ideas offered here; used coffee grounds and tea bags make great natural plant fertilizers. Sprinkle used grounds around plants before rain or watering, for a slow-release nitrogen.

This one isn't a Repurposing tip, but it will save a little money: Run the kitchen sponges through the dishwasher to make them last a little longer before needing to be replaced.

I found this photo of a bird bath and realized it was made with broken plate pieces and grout. I can see too where there is one plate in the middle and then pieces of a broken plate form the outer edge. I have no idea of how it's made. I think if you're handy you could probably figure it out, or you might find directions online. I just wanted to share it because I love the look of things made with broken ceramic pieces.
Pillow cases seem to have dozens of Repurposing uses: They can be cut, sewn, left as is, used as a bag, added to or you can create just about anything you can make with fabric.

Now this idea I really like: Repurposing costume jewelry: For an up-to-date stylin' look, you can pin a group of jeweled pins on a beaded necklace, even a pearl necklace, to make an otherwise dull necklace very impressive.

I could go on forever about how you can Repurpose clothing. Here's just a few ideas to get you started: Buy a Bedazzler and add rhinestones to your jeans, purses, tees, shirts and whatever else you feel like jazzing up. Don't go crazy. Just a few rhinestones strategically placed to add some sparkle.

Also, shoulder pads are back in style. Perhaps you could Repurpose/update a little jacket with shoulder pads? Boy, if you saved any of your clothing that already has shoulder pads you'll be set.

How could I not include the great handbags and totes we have on the site that are Repurposed from women's skirts? I've seen handbags and totes made from old Levi's before, but never like what we have. One day they'll show up in department stores across the nation and you'll be sorry you missed out!!

If you search Google, you will probably find Repurposes for most everything in your household including cereal boxes and even the paper inside. I'm not so sure I could reuse the paper that's inside the box, but I can see where if I had to ship something and didn't have the right size box, I just might consider using the cereal box as an alternative.

You probably have a ton of ideas yourself on what and how to Repurpose items around the house. And would love it if you would take the time to share with us. Otherwise, we hope we've been able to add just a few more items to your list.

ACEO'S, ATC'S and even OSWOA'S are all miniature artwork

2010-02-28T15:22:00.001-08:00

These small works of art carrying the acronym of ACEO (Art Card Editions & Originals) are the current rage across the country. Although some have declared that an artist on eBay originated the art form, it actually has been around for centuries when artists first began using the 2.5 x 3.5 cards in Europe. According to lore, some of the wealthy gentlemen of the time would pay artists to paint miniature pocket-sized paintings they could carry on their person. It was not uncommon for these gentlemen to carry one of their mistresses rather than that of their wives. (The ACEO moniker came much later.)

It has also been said that the trading of the cards tagged as ATC (Artist Trading Card) began in 1999 by someone on the internet. That might be true in that this person reintroduced the world to trading these tiny forms of art, but the practice of trading once again began in Europe. Artists would trade the miniature paintings with other artists in order to share their art techniques with each other. The art form also proved to be an excellent bartering tool for both the artist and the merchant who couldn’t afford an art collection otherwise.

As mentioned, it was in 1999 that someone introduced the art form on the internet and it became the movement known as ATC (Artist Trading Card), and artists worldwide began swapping their artwork. The ATC’S became very popular in art books, magazines, contests and meets were even set up around the globe. Of course they were popular on eBay as well. Still, it wasn’t until 2004 that an artist known as Bone Diva (Lisa Luree) decided she wanted to sell her ATC’S on eBay. Since the ATC’S were designed for trading, the idea was not well received by earlier ATC artists. Rather than fight, she began a separate group of artists and they came up with the ACEO moniker.

Whether you purchase a card to trade, or because you like the work, you must admit that this form of artwork is unique even if only in size. I probably shouldn't discount their size, as the detail and work that goes into the making of one of these cards can only be described as bigger than life. But speaking of size; how would one display such a tiny piece of artwork you ask? If you’re into the trading side, you could store the miniature paintings in trading card albums as you would a baseball card. If you want to actually display the art for art’s sake, it can be matted, framed and hung on your wall either in groups, or alone. A painting placed on an easel can be that final touch needed for a vignette. I’m sure there are even some doll houses large enough to display an ACEO.

When looking to buy an ACEO, your preference in artwork will surely be met, as you can find abstracts, realism, impressionism, surrealism, collages, oils, mixed media, watercolors, pastels, acrylics...all of the same ingredients found in larger artwork.

An ACEO is generally more affordable than other, larger artworks selling for as little as .99 cents, but also as much as $500 on the internet. The rule in buying an ACEO should be the same as with buying any piece of artwork, in that you buy it because you like it, not because you think you can make money from selling it later.

We currently have about four ACEO’S in our Original Artwork category and all painted by the same artist. We hope you can take a few minutes to stop by and check them out.

(Below is a sampling of a mixed-media collage ACEO.)

"Issendai"

Artist: A. Smith

By the way; the dog and the cat shown in this blog are both ACEO'S.

If you haven't been to our site then you probably haven't seen the two new groups of merchandise we recently added. The first group are handbags made from the top portion of a skirt. It's been done before with using Levi's or other denim pants, but I personally haven't seen any quite like these. Stop by and take a look:

The second group of new items are Lampworks pendants. These are seriously works of art with a lot of bronze, gold or silver metallic in each pendant. Once again you may have seen the Lampwork pendants elsewhere. But from what I could tell through my own research, not many can be found having as much of the metallic glass as do the pendants we have and if you do find any, they'll be more money. See for yourself. Just visit us.

If The Deal Is Too Good To Be True, It Probably Isn't A Deal!

2010-01-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

We've all heard that saying, yet someone will still fall victim to the 'Too good to be true' deal. It's human nature to not want to spend more than we should or more than the next guy. Hey, I've been there!

What makes the above scenario an event to turn your stomach is when someone gets totally taken by the likes of Bernie Madoff. Really, who took us for a ride isn’t important now. What is important is that we try to prevent it from happening again or ever.

If you've been following my blog or have read my newsletter, you know we have two new and gorgeous wedding gowns for sale. Both are authentic designer gowns, with the tags still in place. The message here isn't so much about these particular wedding gowns, although we would like to get them sold; it's about helping you to not get ripped off if you plan to buy your gown online.

If you’ve already been shopping around on the internet, you may know there are some amazing deals for wedding gowns online and especially on eBay. I've come across a few of these deals and I can tell you they are definitely too good to be true.

Case in point: On eBay I found an auction selling wedding gowns/prom dresses with an opening bid of $130. (I actually found dozens of new wedding gown auctions with opening bids as low as $9.99. I chose not use those even though they offered many of the same dresses as the one I am using.) The gown can be purchased either from their stock, or you can have it custom made. If you don’t care for the gown on the current auction, they provide a photo array of wedding gown designs you can choose from instead. Ironically, the gowns in the photos all appear to be designer gowns including a couple that look to be from the same designer as one of the gowns we have for sale.

( See photo and typical ad below as taken from eBay)

"My company make wedding dress year to year, so we have rich experience for make wedding dress. We can make the wedding dress and the gown like each customer's request."

Besides that last bit of information does it sound good so far? Well I’ll tell you, there are some things that are very wrong with buying from this seller: First, the gowns this person is selling are definitely knockoffs of the original designer.

Two; they do not really want to sell the gown for only $130.00. What they’re hoping for is to achieve multiple bids to bring the price up to where it should be; whatever that is. Still, if only one person places a bid they could walk away with paying only $130.00.
Three; some of these sellers offer free shipping, but what they don’t tell you is you’ll have to pay for custom fees because most, if not all are located in China.

Four: I found the beaded silk fabric shown in the photo for $98.00 a yard. You could never buy a dress for $130.00 and expect it to be made from fabric of this caliber.

So sure the $130.00 sounds like it is quite a deal for a wedding gown and with even paying custom charges it could still be a deal; if you were actually buying the quality of the original designer’s gown. I’ll discuss later how quality plays a role in buying a knockoff.
But for now, it’s a safe bet that no matter how many photos from the designers the sellers of these deeply discounted wedding gowns show you, they’re still "knock offs" posing as designer gowns.
Of course there are plenty of auctions on eBay and also web sites on the Internet that sell authentic designer dresses and some even offer great bargains. We happen to be one of those places that are selling two authentic designer wedding gowns.
How can you be certain the gowns we have for sale are authentic? For one thing our reputation is at stake on every sale we make. If we sold knockoff items, whether it’s a wedding gown or a purse and we’ve described it as authentic we would not still be in business after 7 1/2 years. In addition, we’re really not in business to sell wedding gowns. We just happen to have two gowns on our site that belong to soon-to-be brides who ended up buying different wedding gowns before the wedding and for two very different reasons. You can read both back stories in our Bridal Category at http://www.gone-tomorrow.com/. We actually have three wedding gowns for sale: Besides the two new gowns, we also have a previously worn wedding gown from David’s Bridal at a very reduced priced.
If you need more convincing as to why you should be careful when purchasing your wedding gown online, please continue reading.
Let’s say you're intent on purchasing a gown from an eBay seller, you should then make sure they're from the United States and not the Orient. I don't mean to profile anyone, but the fact is that most all knockoffs come from China.
And then you should read the seller feedback and not just their feedback score. I mean read the feedback. It could be that they've only sold cd's up to this point.
On eBay, look for bridal store closures. The store bought the gowns at the wholesale price and they should be offering the gowns at deep discounts on their auctions.
Also, look for auctions where the wedding was cancelled. (It's sad, but it does happen.) Brides will reduce the dress enough so you are getting a good deal, but they don't end up feeling, and excuse my language, screwed-over twice!
And now let’s discuss the quality of the gown you’ll get from China. This is our final step in trying to convince to not take advantage of the deals you’re going to find. The following information was found in one of the forums on eBay and was written in part, by a bridal salon owner. I extracted only the pertinent information:

The fabric may be thin low grade satin that wrinkles or thin organza that is used in the cheapest prom dresses. It WILL wrinkle and be very difficult to press or steam.
The beading may be heat applied or the sequins may be caviar beading; heat applied silver dots instead of hand sewing of the beadwork. You won't get Swarovski crystals, you will get plastic beads cut to look like crystal, but they won't have the shine and sparkle of fine Swarovski crystals. If the beading is sewn, it may be sewn by machine; it’s put on by a chain stitch. If you shed one bead, the entire bead area will come loose. They may also use large faux pearls which take up more area instead of mini pearls and mini sequins which give off a more delicate look to the gown.
The bodices may not be properly boned to stay up in a strapless gown. You need boning in the bodice of the gown to keep it up and in place. Strapless gowns SHOULD have a good inner foundation BUILT INTO THE GOWN to keep the gown up and to enhance the bust line and slim the waistline. If the foundation isn't built into the gown, the best bra and tailoring in the world won't keep the gown up.
A quality gown should be properly lined in bridal satin and include some sort of built in fullness if it’s needed for the dress to flow properly. Some cheap dresses have the thin acetate lining and in white or ivory, its completely see through. If you purchase a chiffon gown, make sure it’s lined in bridal satin or you'll be transparent in the light.
A revered bridal manufacturer told us that not all sewing factories are created equal. Some do a great job of sewing, some are horrible. The good ones are contracted to the major bridal manufacturers, if the designers do not own their own factories.

You can find ways to save money on your wedding and in several different areas; especially given the state of today’s economy. Just don’t try to save money on your wedding gown. It just isn't worth it. Your wedding day is one of the most important and special days of your life and your wedding gown should reflect that same importance and specialness.

Facebook | Blue Moon

2010-01-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

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Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift & Consignment Store Wanted Lists

2010-01-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

Wish Lists. Didn't they used to call Wish Lists, Wanted Lists or just Wanted? When did this all change anyway? I'm sorry, but in spite of being a progressive thinker there are some things I've become accustomed to and would like to at least get a memo before it changes on me. In any case and before anything else changes, we will be delving into the Wish List items of our customers to see if we can learn why these particular items are on their Wanted List.

The first item(s) up are insulators. Our customer wrote that he's looking for old and crude glass, pottery and porcelain insulators. His collection is across a broad spectrum of insulators: Bright colors, crude construction, patent dates, insulators with junk in them (such as nails, milk, amber, etc.), early threadless, civil war insulators, lightning rod insulators, foreign insulators, etc., etc. He added that there are thousands of different insulators and he especially would like anything odd and unusual.
If you're like me you've never given insulators a moment's thought, and so the following information I found on the subject is meant to help enlighten all of us. At least on telephone line insulators. (Please take note: The photos above are ones I found of telephone glass insulators and are only a glimpse into what he's looking to find)
Collectors Weekly: Insulators were originally made to keep telegraph and telephone wires electrically insulated from wooden telephone poles (especially important in the rain). With the additional needs of rural electrification, there was a big insulator boom in the early 20th century, peaking from the 1920s through the 1940s, with production in the millions per year.

Made from glass or porcelain, in a dazzling array of shapes and colors (e.g. amber, cobalt blue, green, purple), they’re prized for color, beauty, and rarity. Collectors identify insulators by manufacturer (e.g. Hemingray) and by CD numbers, which are based on shape.

The next item up is an antique/vintage cookie & pastry press made by a company called Mirro, circa 1960's. The kit includes decorating plates and tips. This request came to us from a gentleman who needs 4 kits in total so he can send them to his relatives in Germany who are avid bakers.
I've never used a cookie press so once again I went searching for information. It seems the antique or vintage cookie presses are still readily available, so hopefully it shouldn't be too difficult of a find for our customer. In the meantime the following is what I learned about cookie presses: Also called a cookie gun, this tool consists of a hollow tube fitted at one end with a decorative template or nozzle, and at the other with a plunger. The tube is filled with a soft cookie dough that the plunger forces out through the decorative tip to form professional-looking pressed cookies. Cookie presses come with a selection of interchangeable templates and other tips. Today, they are mostly made of plastic and can be purchased for under $20.00 including accessories. Presses made with aluminum are usually priced at $30.00 and above. Today's cookie presses still look the same as they did in the beginning, which really says something for the original designer, and those that have followed: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Our newest Wish List request comes from someone who is looking for two very different types of fashion related items. The fun stuff!!!
The first item up is a Louis Vuitton Speedy bag in the white multicolored logo design.
Over the years I have sold quite a few Louis Vuitton bags and I'm 99.9 percent sure each one was authentic. At least I never had one returned nor did I have any complaints. Maybe I should bump that percentage up to 100%? That being said, I also admit that I am no expert on Louis Vuitton. Actually there have been volumes written by really knowledgable and smart people on how to determine the authenticity of a Louis Vuitton bag and most write-ups can be found on eBay. The eBay management, as you might suspect; are continually having to keep the selling of counterfeit merchandise at bay. (Did you notice the semi-pun?)
Fortunately when I had bags to sell, a used advice passed on to me by a friend who knew what to look for. She said to check to see if the pattern lined up at the seams. If it did, it was probably the real thing. The technique worked for quite a few years until I came across a large satchel bag with all the other seemingly genuine attributes, but the pattern did not line up. It drove me crazy for a long time trying to authenticate the bag on my own until finally I decided I wouldn't sell it and instead just keep it to use when I traveled. That was one of the best decisions I've ever made!
In my research today of Louis Vuitton bags, matching the seams must have gone by the wayside with the Vuitton people, because if you look at the bags on the official Vuitton site none of the patterns line up. I'm sure back in the day lining up the seams was something the company took pride in, but today with mass production schedules, it's probably too labor intensive and fabric wasteful.
If the need arises again for me to authenticate a Louis Vuitton bag, I'll just leave it to the experts.

The next item on our fashion list is a shawl by Cecilia De Bucourt. The one she would really like is multicolored like shown in the photos, but said any color would do if she could find one at a reasonable price.
The only information I could locate on this shawl was a brief mention with the undated photo on the right. I found loads of Cecilia De Bucourt's other designs, but none make the same fashion statement as this particular shawl.
Since I couldn't learn anything more about the shawl, I decided to see what the fashion world thinks about shawls and scarves.

The first stop on my search was one showing the French technique of layering. We've all seen the look, at least in magazines, if not in person. If you examine the photo at left, you'll note the layering includes not one, but two very unalike scarves. Besides the two scarves and jacket, I think I can also see a vest and I'm sure there's a blouse or shirt under it all. French look or not, I really do love the look.
Since we're into scarves and not yet shawls, I also took note of how some of the stars are tying scarves to the straps of their purses instead of their person and I'm sure we've all seen the look of a large scarf tied around the waist, sarong style. All great ideas to accessorize your outfits.

You have no idea how hard it is sometimes to find exactly what you're looking for on the web. Well, maybe you do. Anyway, a simple request of '2010 shawl fashion trends' should come up with more information than "Big, Bodacious Shawls" with a photo of Gwen Stefani wearing a Big, Bodacious shawl, but it didn't. So I moved on and found some info on Wikipedia about Pashmina shawls. Not exactly what we're looking for, but interesting information nonetheless.
Pashmina is the latest trend in shawls and refers to a type of fine cashmere wool and the textiles made from it. The Pashmina shawl rose into fashion prominence during the mid-'90s, when they were dubiously marketed. Cashmere used for pashmina shawls was claimed to be of a superior quality, which was really due to the enhanced sheen and softness that the fabric (cashmere blended with silk) had. Some shawls marketed as pashmina shawls contain wool, while other unscrupulous companies marketed the man-made fabric viscose as "pashmina" with deceptive marketing statements such as "authentic viscose pashmina".

So there you have it. I hope you found the information useful and will now go out and see if you can fill the desires of our customer's Wish List .

Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift and Consignment Store Blog

2010-01-02T13:08:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the threshold of a new year and a new decade. I swear it seems like the 90's were only yesterday, yet I read a comment the other day saying that clothing from the 90's is now considered vintage. Somehow I would think any piece of clothing that's 10 years old would be considered vintage.
In any event, we are going to continue to discuss clothing in this issue; but we're going to cover finding our style strategy. I'll be taking some comments from the new book by Nina Garcia entitled The Style Strategy: A Less-Is-More Approach to Staying Chic and Shopping Smart, and I'll be adding my own comments as well. So let's start:

Step 1: Take Inventory: Taking stock of what you own, when done correctly and thoroughly, helps dampen the urge to shop frivolously. Play dress-up. Put on some makeup, do your hair and try on your own clothes in front of the mirror. Combine garments in a completely new way. Believe me, you'll discover that your wardrobe is more versatile than you thought, and it will feel like shopping - but without the guilt.

Step 2: Make a Need List: After assessing what's in your closet, make a list of what you need. Not want, but need. Write down the basics missing from your wardrobe. It could be a classic white shirt, a trenchcoat, or the perfect little black dress. Whatever the blank spots, write them down. This will be your reference for shopping. Keep the list in your wallet and refer to it frequently, especially before you actually lay down any cash. You can also make your cash outlay less painful if you visit Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift Store. We might have exactly what you're looking for and at a fraction of the cost.

Step 3: My style is about making things last forever. When you're on a budget it can be daunting to spend $300 on a pair of boots or a coat. But such basics are the building blocks from which your look is crafted. For that, sometimes you have to drop a little cash. Just remember, these are items that should last for years, not a single season. Again, why spend $300 if you don't need to? Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift Store is always adding to it's inventory, so if you don't find what you're looking for on your first visit-come back.

Last year I put together an entire outfit from clothing on our site and as I recall, I spent around $20.00 including the shoes. Today I put together a different outfit, while keeping in mind that each piece should interchange with other wardrobe items, and this time I came up with the low price of $21.00. As you can see, the black skirt can be worn with just about any color top, the little jacket could also be worn with black pants or even a pair of Levi's, and the heels will go with anything. With this outfit, you could work all day and play all night if that's your lifestyle. And if I change my selections to something from Women's Casual Clothing there would have been more of savings.

Ann Taylor silk skirt $8.00

Positive Attitudes lightweight suit jacket $6.00

Chinese Laundry black heels $7.00

So you see how easy it is to save money when you shop with us. You just have to take the time to look through the pages to find the bargains. Plus I think it's a lot less daunting than having to sort through racks of clothing at the store.

Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift and Consignment Store

2009-11-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

How to make extra money!

Do you remember a couple of years ago when copper wiring was being brazenly ripped out of the ground or stolen from construction job sites? How funny was that? One minute you're talking on the phone to your mom and the next minute your talking to dead air, which in my experience could still be mom. Apparently without underground copper phone lines you can't talk on a land line.

So just why was it that copper was in such high demand that it had to be stolen? It's simple enough; the price of copper was off the charts and our local thugs were cashing in - the easy way. Actually, I'm not so sure the method they used was all that 'easy'.

The price of copper is still high, but I'm not hearing about major thefts anymore. Maybe the thieves figured out there was a much easier way to make money instead of having to rip copper wiring out of the ground. In any event, it's Gold that is getting all of the attention now.

If you recall, we first started seeing commercials on TV a while back harping at you to mail in your gold and receive a check the next day. I'm sorry, but there is no way I'm going to mail all of my gold anywhere. The company may be a legitimate enterprise and I might actually receive a check the next day, but the odds are more in favor of me never seeing my gold again, yet alone any money and if for no other reason than it's lost in the mail.

Still the question lingered; how can we take advantage of the record high gold prices without running the risk of being ripped off? After doing some research, I think I found the simple answer: Host a Gold Party.

If you search the Internet using the term 'Host a Gold Party', the most prominent company to appear is My Gold Party. (I do not endorse this company or any other one and can't advise you on which company to use.)

After making arrangements with one of the gold companies, all you do is ask your friends, co-workers, family, neighbors or how about just everyone you know, to clean out their jewelry boxes of old and unwanted gold jewelry and then invite them to your gold party. Don't forget to clean out your own jewelry box too because the great thing about hosting a party is not only can you sell your own unwanted gold jewelry to earn some extra money, but you will also earn a commission based on the overall sales at the party! The commission is generally 10% of the sales, but I've also seen it listed as high as 12% with an additional 5% for each party booked by any of your guests.

I'd better get back on track:

The day of the party, a representative of the gold party company will arrive equipped with a gold tester, and scale. They work with each person's cache of gold separately; first testing, weighing and then arriving at the price they'll pay you, which is generally in cash.

So you'll be more savvy before attending a party, I've put together some information here that I hope you'll find useful on how to weigh and price your own gold:

Gold is weighed in grams, but they also refer to gold weight in troy ounces and in pennyweight. I'm going to simplify things and use only troy weight.

The approach I used was to first separate the gold between the different carats. I then weighed each group on a postage scale. (You can also take your gold to the grocery store and use their scale if you're daring. Or you could even use a diet scale.) The postage scale gave me the avoirdupois ounces, which I multiplied by the conversion rate for a troy ounce of .912. The Avoirdupois ounce is 28.35 grams and the Troy ounce is 31.1 grams.

When you buy a piece of gold jewelry, it's usually made of 14K and as you can see from the chart below, 14K is only 58.5% pure gold. This fact comes into play in a minute.

10K gold = 41.7% gold.
14K gold = 58.5% gold.
18K gold = 75.0% gold

Now that you know the weight and the content, it should be fairly easy to estimate how much you should receive from selling your gold. Just take the troy ounces of gold, times the current price of gold. (You can find the price on the Internet by typing a search of "Current gold price.") For this example let's say gold is at $1,080. Multiply the ounces by the price of gold, then multiply that answer by the percentage of gold content. The final answer is the approximate amount you should receive for your gold. For example:

Your gold weighs 3.03 ounces. 3.03 x .912=2.76 Troy Weight.

2.76 Troy weight x $1,080.00 gold price =$2,980.80

The next step assumes your gold is all 14K:

$2,980.80 x 58.5=$1,743.77. The estimated amount you should receive for approximately 3 ounces of gold.

Remember these are estimates, so don't get your hopes up that you'll make a $1,743.77 from your junk jewelry. For one thing the representative may not pay in Troy ounces. They're calculations may be in grams and even though you'll be close, close may still only be good for horseshoes. The next thing you have to consider is that the representative is there to make a profit, as is the hostess of the party, so in the end that $1,743.77 you came up with may only give you $1,000 by the time the representative smiles and says your earnings are...... Still, it's a $1,000 more than you had when you walked in the door and it's probably about $900 more than when gold prices were still in the tank.

You won't find any of these calculations or formulas on any gold party web site. At least on the sites I visited, and I can see why. They do not want you to have an expectation when you walk in the door. It's just better to go to a gold party armed with enough information to keep everyone honest, but without any expectations of what the money will be. If that's possible.

Something else you may want to consider when deciding to host a gold party, is combining your gold party with other merchandise for sale. If you have the room in your home, you could actually host several parties at once. For example; you could have someone selling new clothing, new jewelry, purses, hand crafted items, kitchen gadgets, or even Avon or other cosmetics. Your options are endless and you'll make money from all sides.

The next step if you choose to take it, is to become a gold party representative. It seems you need to have money to back you up for this position though and if you do, it could be quite a lucrative home based business.

From what I can tell, there are different approaches as to how the representative business pays. In one case, you have to buy your kit for roughly $700 and you pay out of your own pocket for the gold jewelry at each party. You can expect to pay out about $3,000 at a party with 10 people in attendance, according to one web site. After the party you mail the gold to the company and your 'results' are emailed to you the day after the gold is received prepared and smelted. They will then wire transfer your funds, or will mail you a check. It wasn't said at what rate you would be paid; however after the smelting process I think they're now dealing with pure gold so the rate should be at the current price of gold.

Another company charges $295 for training, they offer you leads and they pay you 10% of the party sales. No mention of buying the testing equipment.

I'm sure there are a dozen more companies with just as many pay scales out there for you to choose from. Just do your due diligence before deciding!

Disclaimer: Caveat Emptor.

Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift and Consignment Store

2009-10-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

Like it or not

On a personal level I would give anything to do away with the holidays this year. For one thing, it doesn't seem as though enough time has past since last year and maybe that's only because I'm just not ready for all the commotion yet.
Besides, I think it's far more important to recognize what is going on with the economy with so many people out of work. I mean who really wants to celebrate the holidays knowing that perhaps our neighbors can't?

Ironically, I used to love Christmas. It was so much fun for me to decorate each room in the house and then wait for everyone to see it all and to have them feel the magic like I did. I also loved the spirit of gift giving and especially attending the company Christmas party. At one company I worked, the executives always had way too much to drink and had to face us the next day wondering what they did the night before. Of course I wouldn't tell. It was much more fun seeing them squirm without knowing what the sober people knew.

Back on subject: I'll decorate this year, but not with the same enthusiasm as in years gone by.

And like it or not, the holidays will be here soon and there's no stopping them. That being said, and putting my business hat back on; boy have we got some great stuff for you! We have new Christmas decorations, great new gift items, hand crafted gift items (which are always the most well received) and even a couple of brand new wedding dresses! It may take some time, but you should really browse through our categories because you never know when a great deal will pop-up. For example how about this hand crafted Christmas Sampler quilt? What a great gift for the couple celebrating their first Christmas together. Or the Cute as a Button earrings would make a 'cute' gift for your child's teacher. And of course we have the Bug-o-Doodles, which are designed and hand crafted by Deborah. Again, I think if you take some time to browse our categories you will be surprised to find out how many great items we actually have that would make fabulous and unusual gifts.

How gorgeous is this? If you know of anyone who is looking for a deal on a wedding gown, you should really tell them about the gorgeous Demetrios Illusions gown we just listed. It's new, elegant, has the original tags still in place and is priced under retail and with no sales tax.

The Details: Style No. 3049 - Size 12, Ivory, Crushed French taffeta strapless gown with ruching and mermaid-style cut. The bodice is hand-embellished with Swarovski crystals and beading. The straight skirt is decorated with fabric flowers and ends in a sweep train. Never worn - tags still on. International size. Use measurements to be accurate: bust 35, waist 30, hips 42.

You can save enough money from the reduction the bride is giving and not having to pay sales tax, to perhaps stay another day or two on your honeymoon. Or just be creative and think about how you could spend the money you saved on buying this beautiful dress versus one from a retail store. I know which way I'd go.

Sometime next week we'll be adding a couple of Christmas ornament assortments that were originally purchased through QVC. These ornaments are similar to what you'd find in a Radko collection, but without the Radko price tag. Each set of 15 ornaments are housed inside a wooden box with a fully lined slot made especially for a specific ornament. The price for a set is an absolute steal at $35.00. That's like $2.33 for each ornament with a free wood box to protect them throughout the rest of the year.

This past week we had a large addition of merchandise consisting of Chanel pants, a Dooney Bourke wristlet bag, Streets Ahead belts, and more. Actually there are still more items waiting for their chance to be added to the site. Hmmm...Maybe tomorrow. Or should I say; "Afterall, tomorrow's another day?"

If you need a delicious pie recipe for Thanksgiving this year, check out the one we have on our newsletter this time. Yummy!

I think you're now armed with enough information to make your shopping experience on Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift and Consignment Store pleasant.

Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift and Consignment Store

2009-10-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

If you've been on our site, Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift and Consignment Store, you've probably already noticed this gorgeous new wedding dress we've just taken in on consignment.

Our bride purchased the dress during her initial excitement of first becoming engaged and without the chance to give much thought to what the theme of the wedding would be. Now that she's had the time to plan and the wedding is just 7 months away she has chosen a dress to better fit her wedding theme. (Picture her walking down the aisle on a sandy beach in Maui, followed by a traditional Hawaiian Luau reception. Aah yes, I think a different dress might be a little better suited for a sandy beach.)

The gown is from the Alfred Angelo Bridal Collection-Style 1150, size 6 and features lace with metallic accents of crystal beading and sequins. A silhouette waist draws your eyes down to the layered A-line skirt and a chapel length train. Includes optional modesty piece and net cap sleeves with matching lace and beading. The original tags are still in place, which makes buying the gown from us just like buying it from any bridal shop only for a lot less money!

May I have a show of hands of all the doll collectors out there? Great, because do we have some dolls for you!!! I'm showing just a couple here from the Drake Collection:

Ashton Drake Galleries, porcelain baby doll. Weighted to feel like a real baby. Gently used for display purposes only. Non-smoking house. Priced at $30

How about this Ashton Drake set of twin dolls? Baby's First tooth by Yolanda Bello, boy and girl twin baby dolls, great condition, displayed only, non smoking home, about 8" tall while seated, no packaging, tag on girl attached. The pair are priced at $30

Click here to see what other dolls we have that might just whet your appetite: Bears, Dolls and Friends

I am truely amazed sometimes at the talent that apparently goes unrecognized by the masses, which is why we consider it such an honor to have what the designer calls Bug-O-Doodles bestowed upon us. Bug-O-Doodles are hand drawn and then crafted from polymer clay by Deborah. Although designs may be issued again, no two Bug-O-Doodles are exactly the same. Bug-O-Doodles include a handcrafted gift box, which makes for the perfect gift item.

Let me introduce you to Danny, the Halloween Teddy Bear. He loves to dress up and for Halloween. Here he's dressed up as a dragon sitting next to a pumpkin teapot. In his hand is a removable sign that can be personalized, size is 3 x 2 inches, includes a hand crafted gift box. Danny is priced at $7.15.

This time I added two, not just one, Halloween recipes to our newsletter. Both of these delicious looking recipes were found on the Hershey's Chocolate web site, so I don't think there's any doubt to their tastiness! I mean look at the photos and tell me your mouth isn't watering!

I hope you'll stop by the site and check out all of the new things we've recently added. Also, let me remind you about our Name Your Price Sale and our Layaway programs. Visit us on the site to learn more about each program. They'll save you money!

Until next time....

Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift and Consignment Store

2009-10-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed all of new as in new, and not used, items we've added to the site over the last month? Almost everything came to us on consignment which is so great because more than likely we would not have the items at all if not for our consignees. Especially, the ones that are hand crafted. These treasures are not massed produced and as such, I feel we are so lucky to have been chosen by the artist to promote her designs. It's like owning one of the original oil paintings by an artist who later became famous. And you never know, it could just happen one day.

There's quite a bit of information in the newsletter this time and rather than duplicate it here, I'll let you hop over and read it yourself. And to entice you to do just that, I added a great recipe from Hershey's Candy web site. It's sooo yummy!!!!

One thing I do want to let you know about, and which isn't in the newsletter is the 10th Anniversary of Amazon's much-loved Wish List with 10 lavish sweepstakes. Amazon Wish List

Our customers will have a chance to enter one of the themed Wish List sweepstakes. Just create, add to, or share a Wish List, and you'll be invited to enter. Amazon Wish List

Features in this release include:
• Week 1 (Oct. 5-11): The Twilight Saga: New Moon Premiere Wish List -- A trip for two to Los Angeles to see the premiere
• Week 2 (Oct. 12-18): Dream Kitchen Wish List -- New appliances include a range, refrigerator, dishwasher, and espresso maker
The last week of the sweepstakes is • Week 10 (Dec. 7-12): Amazon Wish List

With Halloween soon upon us, I want to also let you know that we have Halloween decorations this year. It's been at least 3 three years since we've had any so we're really happy about these items, especially since they're all from Department 56. Not only are you getting a decoration, but also a collectible one at that!

And as always it seems, we have Christmas decorations as well. We have some Department 56 too and even some vintage decorations. I think you'll enjoy looking at the least.

Well, this is all the news I have for this time around. It seems I have writers cramp or is it block? Whatever it is I have it and just can't seem to spit out any newsworthy information. One thing is for sure though...I'll be back!!!

Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift and Consignment Store is making change

2009-09-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor Day Everyone!

The other day I went onto Wikipedia, to see what is written about the reason we celebrate Labor Day:

I found that the celebration of Labor Day originated in Canada about 10 years before we adopted the holiday. Our labor leader at the time visited Canada and found the parades, etc. to be a great way to bring all people together and came back here to the U.S. to have a celebration of our own in New York City. (See drawing below) It wasn't until the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the US military and US Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike that president Glover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," followed by a festival for the workers and their families.

Obviously someone came along at some point and decided to stop the Labor Day parades. Then someone else came along and must have said, "Hey, I spend all week with my fellow workers, why would I want to spend Labor Day with them too?" Pretty soon we're left with nothing more than a day off work called Labor Day. An oxymoron. A complete change of events from what congress proclaimed.

Over my lifetime I have found that it can take only one or two brave people to make a change in anything we do in life. (As a side observation: Have you noticed that somehow, it must take a village to make change happen in our government.)

Change

Speaking of change: One company I worked for had a policy where everyone who worked in accounting had to shred the contents of their wastebaskets at the end of each day. What fun (sarcastically said) it was to watch the women rush to wait in line at 5 o'clock, dig through their trash and then shred the contents. I often wondered as I stood in line, how long this insane practice had being going on and eventually determined it probably somehow predated electric shredders.

The reason behind this practice sort of made sense to me in that the company was privately held and did not want any financial records to be seen by strangers; such as janitors etc. I didn't mind so much shredding the paperwork, as there might have been private information on the sheets of paper, but it was ridiculous to shred calculator tapes when no one would ever know what the numbers meant even if they did take the time to read them. I didn't even know and they were my tapes!

This line of thought kept coming up between my friend/co-worker and I, until one day we decided to not shred anything. Boy were we brave; so brave in fact we had to sneak our rebellious behavior so no one would notice what we were 'not' doing.

We spent the next day in mortal fear waiting to see if we'd been caught. Nothing happened. So we got braver still and did it again the next night. Still nothing happened. After a few more days of not shredding and not being caught we were hooked. Pretty soon other women in the office noticed we were no longer standing in line to shred and the 5 o'clock line began to dwindle. I'm sure the supervisors and the miss-never-do-wrong's continued to shred their paperwork and calculator tapes, but they only made it easier on the rest of us to skate by without being noticed.

I wasn't around to see if eventually no one was left shredding the contents of their wastebaskets, as I had moved on to another part of the company. I do know that once the company moved their corporate headquarters, there was no one left shredding.

Stories like mine happen every single day and in every walk of life. There will always be someone who will rebel against policy and things will change forever. And like in my case, no one will ever know it happened and if they do, they seem to keep it to themselves and just follow along like Lemmings.

Shopping

Why did I take off on this tangent about change? Well, I think it's time we all do something to make a change for the better in our lives. Take for example shopping: Sure, we can all go to the mall and buy something that's way over priced in one of the department stores, or we can shop online at a store like Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift and Consignment Store where prices are always low, no matter what. Shopping with us doesn't mean you have to buy used merchandise either. We have plenty of items that are new, not expensive, and are certainly gift worthy.
In the end, the recipient of your gift is happy and you're NOT broke! (Pictured is a beaded sling purse on the right and a wooden angel on the left. Both items are NEW and reasonably priced.) Hmmmm....this shopping message isn't quite as subliminal as I planned.

Crafts

Maybe you're into crafts and therefore making Christmas gifts is something that will make you feel good and the recipient of the gift will love. A while back I came across instructions for adding beads to candles and thought what an elegant gift idea and I'm going to share:

Homemade Beaded Candles

Today, candles are a must in any home’s decor. Not only do they add a lovely and colorful touch to the room’s surrounding, they introduce an inviting aroma to the whole house.

At home decor stores you could spend anywhere from $5 to $25 or more on beautiful and unique candles. If you hate to spend that kind of money, but long to have elegant candles in your home, here’s a quick and easy solution. Decorate your own candles for pennies on the dollar! This crafting project will allow all the creative leeway you want and it is a perfect idea for gifts as well! In only a few easy steps you will be enjoying the glitter and gleam of your own homemade designer candles.

What will I need?

Small crafting pins ( I used small sequin pins)
Beads
Plain, inexpensive candles

How do I do it?

To get started you will want to choose the candle you will be working with. Find a plain candle in any size, shape and color at a local crafting store or discount retailer. There are literally thousands of options to choose from. You could even pick up a few and make a collection of candles. Next choose the beads you want to add to the candle. There is a wide range of beads to choose from and most come in packages of 20 or more. When purchasing your crafting pins be sure to take note of the size of the hole in the beads you choose. You will need to make sure that the head of the pin is large enough to securely place the bead onto the candle. Packages of crafting pins can also be found a your local crafting store and usually come in packages of 100 or more. These pins come in both silver and gold tones, so you can choose which color best compliments the beads and candle you choose.

1) Decide on a pattern that you will be applying to your candle. You can place the beads randomly around the candle or chose a striped (or other) pattern.

2) If you decide to create a pattern on your candle, use the point of one of the crafting pins and map out the pattern by making small pin marks into the wax. Not too deep though, you may decide later to change the pattern.

3) Using a crafting pin place the bead onto the candle by inserting the pin through the hole in the bead. Press firmly until the pin is inserted entirely into the candle. Due to having to insert the pin all the way into the candle you may want to choose the smallest length of pin that will allow you to place the bead onto the candle.

4) Repeat until you have completed your pattern or have placed the desired amount of beads onto the candle. You’re done!

You now have a charming decorative candle for the fraction of the cost! Family and friends will delight in this thoughtful and creative gift.

Additional tips for this creative crafting idea:

Make a matched set of candles. Purchase the same color of candles in differing sizes, or the same size of candles in differing colors.

Display your candle collection on a glass plate (you can purchase these inexpensive candle trays at a local discount retailer or save even more money and look at the price of plain glass dishes. You can usually pick up a good sized glass plate for about a dollar).

Add several different beads to one candle.

Forgo using the beads and use just the crafting pins inserted into the candle as decoration.

If you want to make a really fancy pattern on your candle, use a stencil and map out the pattern.

September 11

I received an email the other day and would like to share the contents of it in the hope we'll stand united on this:

For those who still believe the United States Is the greatest place in the world:

On Friday, September 11th, 2009, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this eighth anniversary of one of our country's worst tragedies. We do this to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.

Thank you for your participation. God Bless You and God Bless America!

The End

Well, there you have it. This week's blog is now on the books. To think we went from how you can effect change - rather simply, to how you can decorate your own candles - very simply. What a trip!

Online Thrift and Consignment Store

2009-08-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

Another busy week for us here, as I think you'll figure out as you read on. We were first contacted by a woman in Canada that designs earrings and who wanted to add her collection to the site. She doesn't have a digital camera so she's shipping her collection to us, which she can do under our alternative consignment rules. We'll let you know as soon as they arrive.

On the same day, I was contacted by another woman who is also sending me her items to sell. Again, I haven't seen photographs; however, her items are brand new and from a store she recently closed. She sent me a list of the items so I know a little bit from the descriptions and I'm really excited about receiving this merchandise! Perfect timing too with the holidays coming up.

We also took in on consignment this week a Bill Levkoff bridesmaid dress. This dress was previously worn once, and is still like new. The photos of the dress are from the designer as well as from the wedding where the dress was worn. It's a European satin strapless, in a size 2, and is pink with a platinum sash and trim. The dress was not altered. As with most of Levkoff's dresses, this one can do double duty as a cocktail or party dress. Priced at only $45.00 compared to $150 new. Bill Levkoff Style# 271.

We have you covered this Halloween with the addition of some, too cute for words, Department 56 decorations. In keeping with the holiday theme, we have Christmas ornaments from Department 56 that are just as adorable. For example the snowman pictured is dressed as a firefighter. The Halloween and Christmas ornaments are new, not used. They are also priced even below what you can buy them for on eBay.

We have two new hand crafted quilts that were consigned to us this week as well. One is called Pretty Dresses and is perfect for a girls room; young or old, and the other one is holiday themed. The photo is a blow up of one of the dresses in Pretty Dresses. Both quilts are made of quality fabrics, machine pieced, appliquéd, and quilted. They have also been pre-washed for quality assurance.

We have a customer request:

"Hello I am looking for Cracker Barrel Old country store, Paden City Artworks jugs. They have the store name on it. They can be salt and pepper shaker or other knicknacks. Thank you." If you can be of help please email us here

Meet the Parents Realty

Remember the wedding gown we listed last week? Well I'm excited to say it sold in just one week! I honestly did not think it would sell that quickly and was at first reluctant to take the dress in on consignment. I just didn't want the owner to suffer yet another disappointment if it did not sell as quickly as she needed.

Once it was decided to put the dress on the site I had to ask myself a hundred times what happened that she was selling her unworn wedding gown. Yet no matter how much I wanted to know, I could never bring myself to ask. I instead made up scenarios in my mind going from a breakup to a tragedy and unfortunately those scenarios are what I'm left with. Besides, I could start thinking about who would end up buying the dress and why.

I pretty much determined it would be someone who had seen it at the store for the retail price, and then when she found the same dress on our site, she couldn't it pass up. Who could pass up our lower price even if you had to say you bought it at a thrift/consignment store? Anyway, that wasn't the story at all. Our buyer was a desperate girl who is getting married in two weeks (one week now) and had already bought the dress once only to have it destroyed.

So there I was once again trying to figure out what happened with a dress. Only this time I wasn't going to end up with scenarios I dreamed up; I was going to ask her. We spoke on the phone prior to her actually buying the dress and I asked her point blank what happened. Of course I already knew the answer. She was going to tell me about this horrible hurricane, or tornado or perhaps a fire that ravaged her home and destroyed it. HA! I don't know the details, but what I envisioned when she told me was a scene from Meet the Parents. The one where the 'fake' cat went crazy in the den and destroyed all the wedding plates and then peed on the wedding dress?

Well, after telling me her cat destroyed it and me trying not to laugh because I was honestly remembering the movie scene, all she said was, "I should kill the cat." Really?

I sincerely wish both the buyer and the seller of the wedding dress much future happiness.

Online Thrift and Consignment Store

2009-08-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we added to our group of consignment items one of the most beautiful, and seemingly the most popular wedding gowns for the year 2009. You'll see what I mean if you Google David's Bridal Style T9612; there are pages and pages of entries related to this dress. So if you or someone you know are looking for this dress, you need look no further. It's a size 6, brand new, as-in-never worn, Style T9612 gown and matching veil with a price of only $650. That's a $335 savings off retail. Add sales tax to the minus column and you're talking about a savings of over $400! Think about it; where else could you put $400 that would help make your wedding day the day you've always dreamed of?

While thinking of what subject I could write about this week I was reminded of a TV show I watched the other night called Flashpoint. In one scene the police team was driving in a residential area and I found the housing in the background to be so odd looking. The houses were older, and similar to the one in the photo shown here. But that's where the resemblance ended. The houses in the TV show were painted a different color on one side of the house then on the other. The color change started at the top of the roof's peak and went all the way down and each 'house' had separate front entries. It was so intriguing to me since I had never seen anything like it before that I knew had to find out where they are and hopefully why they're painted like an Oreo cookie without a top.

I started with the TV show Flashpoint to see where it's filmed. I found that yet another series has moved to Toronto, Canada where it's less expensive to film. I then searched Google using several different housing terms; none of which came up with the results I wanted. What I did see associated with every term I used was one word: Crisis. I ignored it at first because it didn't pertain to what I wanted. Finally, after pages and pages of seeing that word CRISIS in every result I had to see what it was all about.

The following was taken from one of the many blogs I found on the subject:
Allan L. , Jul 15, 2009; 01:22 p.m. "The City of Toronto is struggling to cope with an ongoing housing crisis that has left thousands homeless and hundreds dying on our streets. A study on housing in Toronto reveals that 550,000 people here are living in poverty — that’s roughly 25% of the city’s population. With few options available to them, thousands of these people are finding themselves living on the streets where, in 2002, thirty-two-thousand different people stayed in Toronto’s emergency shelters — 4,779 of these were children. Add to this the fact that well over five hundred men, women, and children have died on the streets as a direct result of homelessness. With the financial crisis being felt all around the world, there are no indications that the situation is any better today. For one of the wealthiest cities in the world, how can this be allowed to happen?"
I had no idea this was going on in Canada. It seems we tend to live in our own little world and even though some information about other places trickle in, we don't pay that close attention because it isn't directly affecting us. I know I tend to stick my head in a hole and not listen to every single negative thing that gets circulated through all the various channels. I even feel bad writing about this now and burdening you with the troubles of our northern neighbors.

On the other hand maybe we're meant to know about all the negative issues in the world, nation, state, and our own communities just so we'll learn to appreciate our own lives more; especially when we don't have the means to help others.

We all know that no matter how bad it may get for us there's always someone else worse off. Oh I know, what a cliche and why would just saying it make you feel any better? You're probably also thinking that other 'someone' who's worse off isn't affecting you at all, so why should you be concerned? Well I don't know for sure, but you have to stop and wonder if maybe it's that kind of thinking that got us into this mess to begin with. The 'Who Cares' type of thinking is what I'm talking about.

Actually now that I think about it, there's a 5 letter word that really caused most of the problems we're all facing and it's called GREED. However, ignoring the plight of our fellow man has got to come into play along the way. At least that's what I think.

Bottom line is I am so sorry that so many people are suffering today and I wish I could help everyone. Unfortunately, I'm not a democrat.

Online Thrift and Consignment Store News

2009-08-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I have to tell you that our $2.95 Shipping Special is now over. You can wipe away the tears though, because I also have some great news for you; we have a new shipping special that's almost as good and it won't cause us to go broke: Orders ship for $4.95 to anywhere in the USA, anytime and for any order. I'd call that a win-win!

If you haven't visited the site lately you wouldn't know we've added a slew of great new items during the last month. In my last blog I introduced you to the Home Spa Treatment and if you still haven't tried it you really should. Seriously! It's not expensive, yet it's so wonderful for your skin.

We're also in the process of adding a line of designer made jewelry and although the one piece we've added so far is both attractive and unique, we're very excited about receiving more in this line. The photo at right is a sampling of what's in store.

You'll also find new items added to our Antiques, Jewelry, Bears, Dolls and Friends, Women's Clothing and Children's Clothing this month. Plenty of fun things, as well as some practical items too. One of the fun things added is a group of Star Wars characters from the early 1990's by Pez Candies. That's right, these highly collectible items are still around. The Star Wars packages are unopened and just as pristine as they were some 19 years ago.

Although it's one of the more expensive times of year, I'm sure a lot of you are probably very excited to have school about ready to start. Still it's only the first of August and school is already starting in some areas next week, which is just such a sneak attack! I mean you're still basking in the summer sun and now have to think about getting your children ready for school? How could you possible be ready- mentally or financially for that matter?

Well, one way to help keep expenses down is to shop with us.

Seriously; you should really check out some of the things we have to offer for example, the Ed Hardy hoodie shown here is brand new, yet priced at only $60.00. This is one of his most infamous designs and would probably go for at least $230 elsewhere. What college student or high schooler wouldn't want an Ed Hardy-anything - as a part of the their wardrobe?

Again, our Children's and Women's clothing categories have plenty of items to choose from now and the Women's Category has clothing even for the college age group.
The BCX Girl top on the left is like new and is an adorable school girl look with the argyle sweater vest and faux cotton under blouse. It's a size 10/12 and priced at only $4.00.

We know how expensive it can be to buy your child fashionable school clothes and that's why we try to keep out prices as low as possible.

Keep in mind that we are still offering our layaway program, which has clearly been a blessing for a lot of folks. When we can help someone it makes us happy!
And with that said, I leave you until next time

You know how your skin is beginning to look a little haggard after so much sun exposure?

2009-07-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

Well we have a group of wonderful, yet inexpensive new products at our Cosmetic Counter that can whip your skin right back into shape!

These products are like having a relaxing spa treatment without actually going to the spa. In other words; a spa treatment in the seclusion of your own home and each item is like the price of a cup of coffee and a pastry.

The Anayansi Skin Care Collection, Inc., a division of the BellaHoney Body Care Company says their products are naturally-focused and made with the finest butters, bath salts, olive oil soaps, and organic soaps combined into products that pamper the body and soothe the soul. Utilizing natural and pure ingredients such as cocoa butter, shea butter, macadamia nut oil, and organic avocado oil.
We have a sampling of the their most popular products on our site, which really are the essentials of what we would need this season.

One of their more popular products is the Dead Sea Mineral Mud Masque. Made with mud from the dead sea it has a high salt and mineral content, all of which are essential for the body. Dead sea mud infuses the skin with minerals leaving it clean, refreshed and hydrated.

The Dead sea mud has the dual purpose of exfoliating as well as being as a natural cleanser. It not only remove toxins and impurities from the skin, but also tightens and tones the skin, improves blood circulation, hydrates the skin and aids in skin regeneration.

Dead Sea Mud is World renowned as a source of non-soluble clays,
carbonates, sulfides, and organic compounds. It is also extremely
rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium. Often use as a face or
body mask, by applying and leaving on skin to dry, then rinsing off and moisturizing to complete this refreshing feeling.

BellaHoney Body Care Company has added nothing to this product because they feel that dilution of the Mud reduces therapeutic effects. This product is just what your skin needs after spending time in the hot sun. The Dead Sea Mineral Mud Masque is $10.00

Also in their facial treatment lineup is the Seaweed Purifying Facial Masque. This nutrient rich Seaweed Mask detoxes facial pores, purges toxins, leaves your complexion fresh and pure while seaweeds nourish your skin with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Potent Alpha Lipoic Acid and Vitamin C repair damaged skin, restores elasticity, and strengthens cellular structure and all for only $10.00

Do you remember me writing about body scrubs several weeks ago, and even giving directions on how to make your own sugar scrub? Did anyone try it? Well, I did. I'm not sure what ingredient I missed, but the scrub I made did not smell like the one purchased at the spa. It felt okay, but to take a shower and come out smelling like olive oil? I guess the scented oil was a lot more important than I realized if I didn't want to end up smelling like a dinner salad.

Of course there's another way to get the spa sugar scrub without having to make a batch or break the bank to buy it. Remember the sugar scrub bottle I had would have cost me more than $35.00 to replace? Well, you can buy the Sugar Scrub below for only: $8.00. You're still going to smell like a food item, but this time it's Coconut!! My favorite!

Brown Sugar Body Exfoliant, exfoliates and clean the skin by removing dull, dead skin cells to reveal a younger skin layer. These scrubs thoroughly cleanse pores allowing the skin to breathe easier, stimulate blood circulation and remove daily toxins from the skin. Exfoliation helps future skin regeneration which keeps the skin looking younger while strengthening and firming skin tissues.
Ingredients: Fine Grain Brown Sugar, Sunflower Oil, Shea Butter, Rice Bran Oil, Jojoba-Golden Oil.
Scent: Coconut

And finally, The Anayansi Skin Care Collection, Inc. is showcasing their best selling soap: Summer Citrus Olive Oil Soap. $6.00
All of their soaps are handmade using a cold-process method, where nutrient-rich oils are blended with distilled water and sodium hydroxide, poured into molds, cut, and then allowed to cure for a minimum of three weeks. The natural result of this method is a soap that is very high in glycerin, a humectant that attracts moisture to the skin.

Ingredients: Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Water, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil. For external use only.

Scent: Orange, Lime, and Lemon. 5oz

So here's the bottom line: If you were to purchase each of the items listed above it would cost $34.00 (Less than the price of one sugar scrub from the spa) and since you don't really need to buy two masques right now, it would only be $24.00 for 3 products. Considering the cost of like products from spas or other outlets and what the alternative is if you don't properly take care of your skin, I think $24.00 is a bargain.

I will leave you with one example of what customer's are saying about the products:
wow! what a wonderful product. this really makes your skin feel wonderful

Michelle T. Franklyn,TN

Our July Customer Appreciation Sale is certainly being well received, which is such a delight for us. Not only are we able to sell some merchandise, which helps to make room to put more items on the site, but we're also helping our customers buy what they need without having to pay an arm and a leg for shipping. That sounds like a win-win to me!

Here's a cliche' for you.."It's summertime and the livin' is easy...."

2009-06-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

We all know the livin' isn't that easy for most of us around the country this summer, so it really gave me pause trying to figure out if there was a way I could help make things just a little better for those of you who visit and shop at our site. It was during this thought process that I had what I consider to be an....aha...moment. What a great, but rare moment that was!

So here's the idea: Why don't we reduce the price of shipping to $2.95 on every order for the entire month of July and save our customers a bunch of money? It took about 60 seconds to finalize this idea and another 60 seconds to design the flyer!

This week some more cool items were added to the site and there is still more in the works to be added. (They're sitting on the table next to my desk right now.) The items that were already added are in the clothing categories for Children and Women and also in books. Shoes, Linens (Antique and House Wares) Purses, Bags & Accessories, and Christmas decorations are what's next.

News Flash!
We are so pleased to tell you about the opportunity we were given to promote a book by an author with a really, really fun style of writing. The book is titled; Who are You suppose to Be? Wrestling with the echoes from Molly Murphy's House of Fine Repute, by Darren Stone.
Summary:
Molly Murphy’s House of Fine Repute held a top spot on “Restaurant Row” in Oklahoma City for almost twenty years. People traveled from around the world to enjoy the four-star dining experience, served by an illustrious wait staff that included Groucho Marx, Blackbeard, Killer Bee, and countless other characters of fame and imagination. If you were one of the millions fortunate enough to share an evening of food and foolishness at Molly’s, you most likely remember a night of laughter and surprises, good food, and an “anything goes” mentality. Grab a drink, watch your step, and slide into the Button Booth with Mighty Mouse and friends as they take you on an introspective, scrambled journey through the dark corridors and hidden cubbyholes of Molly Murphy’s. Catch a glimpse of the madness – the sex and drugs for sure – and the lifelong bonds made by those who worked hard to keep you entertained. And for no extra charge, you may even walk away with a little more insight about who you’re supposed to be. Tip not included.
About Darren Stone:
Darren Stone lives near Portland, Maine with his cat, Monk. He exhibits all the signs of superhero complex, Peter Pan complex, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ADHD, has sensitive eyes, a bad knee, and is afraid of heights. His doctor wants him to watch his cholesterol. Writing down his thoughts about Molly’s was supposed to be good therapy for Darren, and although twelve years have passed since the first paragraph, he’s still not convinced Oprah will find this book all that indispensable. But it had to end somewhere, some time. There must be at least thirty more books worth of Molly’s tales out there. In fact, Susie’s already got a story she forgot to tell. So the question arises..…..who’ll be next?

I'm reading the book now and it's a real fun read. Since shipping is so cheap and every copy sold is autographed by the author, you may want to think about buying a copy this month.

Our newsletter, which you'll find on the site features the last and most interesting segment on Fashion Trends for 2009. The discussion covers Nails, Make-up and Jewelry with jewelry hogging all the space. You should hop back over to the site and check it out. http://www.gone-tomorrow.com/

Until next time, we hope you have a very happy 4th of July!

Buy a complete outfit for $21.50, including shoes and a scarf

2009-06-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

You know, even though the economy sucks we all still have to wear clothes, so why not buy from a place where you'll find mostly up-to-date styles-with a few retro items thrown in - even some designer labels, good quality, most assuredly fantastic customer service and wait...here's the best part...all for a fraction of the cost as other places? See, couldn't be easier!

Since that's why you're here let's get to it and check out the latest additions!

Women's Clothing continues to grow and this week it just got a whole lot bigger (No pun intended) with the addition of Maternity Wear. If you're expecting and you're a working mother-to-be I think you'll find a nice selection of professional styles for the workplace. The top shown is only an example of what we have in stock for the career minded woman.

Of course anything you wear is going to look better when you accessorize with a colorful scarf. Fortunately, we just added some great scarves to our Purses, Bags and Accessories category so you're in luck. I guess we can't define them as new scarves, since they're vintage, but on the other hand they haven't been used either. So what do you call a scarf that's from the 70's or 80's with the tags still in place? A DEAL, that's what! Yes, even with accounting for inflation and the vintage factor these scarves are still a bargain. We've got some polyester, 100% silk, some winter neck scarves and at least one designer scarf. But to really add to the fun of checking out these scarves for yourself is this cowboy themed scarf shown here in blue, plus we also have it in red.

Okay, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that little cowboy scarf look cute with these Old Navy cargo pants? Well, the pants are white and the scarf has some white, why isn't that a perfect match?

Alright, if you don't like that idea how about matching this Ralph Lauren striped tee with the pants? According to the fashion guru's, the blue and white nautical look is what's happening this summer, so you might as well dress like you know what you're doing. You could still add the scarf and be a stylin' trend setter!

No outfit is complete without shoes and we've got the perfect pair for this nautical look. Indulge us.

Now you want to hear or I should say read the good news? If you were to purchase each of the items from us, including the dorky cowboy scarf, the total for the outfit is $21.50. Being very conservative, I'd say this is a savings of way over $60.00. Even when you add in shipping costs of $7.45 you're still saving a bundle and no one will know you didn't just seriously buy these clothes direct from Old Navy, Macy's and the Converse store!

I think I've made my point.

Don't forget to read our newsletter this week because it's not the same as the blog this time. Also, stayed tuned for our Christmas in July sale! Visit the site, read next week's blog and newsletter to find out what's in store.

When is the first day of Summer of 2009?

2009-06-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift Store • Amazon Store

According to Answer.com: In the Northern hemisphere, based on astronomical definition, summer begins on the day of the June solstice, which is at 1:45 A.M. EDT on June 21, 2009. While many Western calendars may mark June 21, 2009 as the beginning of summer, note that summer begins on June 20, 2009, at 10:45 P.M. PDT in California. So it either starts on June 20, 2009 or on June 21, 2009. Hmmm.. Good to know!

I have a reason for bringing up the Summer of 2009. I've been talking about home decorating for a couple of months now and just realized that there's been no discussions on fashion. If we're going to have a designer looking home, we need to dress in designer looking clothes. Don't you think?

So that's what I'm talking about... this week:

Trends That You Need To Know About...2009
Black and white continues to defy time, as always...Let's face it - you can't go wrong with the traditional black and white outfit.
This season dresses and skirts will remain must haves...But the fashion designers will also give us some fun fashions that will offer wonderful vivid paisleys, floral and geometric prints...

The main theme this spring is bold and bright.
Designers are utilizing heavenly fabrics, light as a cloud so to say, and putting you in soft and feminine dresses, and blouses-You'll feel a bit like an angel. Designers have not left out all you little devils either. This spring and summer you will see a big come back in red! A bold color that is not just for you red hot gals.

Many fashions this season will be sewed up with the up most intricately, touting pleats, folds, and draping. Giving references to ancient Greece and Rome. The oh-so sexy one shoulder look is also big for this summer.

The Katharine Hepburn's influence as always still reigns. You will continue to see tailored blazers, cute fitted cardigans, and ties ...and not to be out done; Audrey Hepburn's classic Little Black Dress is still a fashion must after 70 years in the spotlight. And that's all thanks to Coco Chanel. What a designer.

As mentioned above floral's are so big this spring and summer...You will see the racks over loaded with wonderful floral's, from soft muted pastels, to South Pacific inspired with bright and bold floral's - just about in every shade you can imagine...

One of the big trends this season is anything striped... Expect to see lots of stripe, not only on wonderful nautical knit tops, but dresses, handbags, and even shoes...

Biker Babes... This spring swap out that blazer for a oh so cute leather motorcycle jacket. This is a fast growing trend, keep in mind its not the typical black leather type. This year designers have put out some wonderful biker inspired jackets, pastels, bright classic colors, and yes some metallic jobs...

All items on this page can be found on http://www.gone-tomorrow.com/
We'll have more fashion coverage in our next issue because we've only just begun to figure out what we're supposed to wear this summer.

We still have shoes, shorts, pants (High waisted pants!) handbags, jewelry and..Yada, Yada Yada...So stay tuned!

Did you notice the ad I have running on this page, over on the right side and down a ways? It belongs to www.swagbucks.com and according to their web site/search engine you are rewarded with Swag Bucks for every search you perform. The Swag Bucks can be redeemed for merchandise of your choosing. This is what they say:
www.swagbucks.com is a search engine that offers you the chance to win cool prizes from swagbucks.com every time you search. We believe very strongly in rewarding our users for their loyalty and our prizes are our way of thanking you. No registration is required. Try it, you'll be hooked - we guarantee it!
My thoughts are if we can save money by searching the web and earning more spending power, by all means we should go for it.
Winning Tips by Swagbucks.com

Father's Day

2009-06-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift Store • Amazon Store

Here Comes Father’s Day
Can you believe there are only about three weeks left until Father’s Day - June 21, 2009? So are you ready? Have you given any thought as to what would make a great Father’s Day gift? No problem because I did and came up with a couple of gift ideas I think would be great for Father’s Day:

What Dad wouldn't be appreciative of this gift: An American flag that flew over the United States Capitol in Washington, DC. The Congressman’s name who requested it, along with the name of the person the flag was presented to is printed on the certificate. It was February 5, 1997 when Bill Clinton was still in office. Can’t you just hear the bragging going on in the neighborhood because of this flag’s history? Purchase for only $25.00.

Another thought I had for a nice gift is one of our books. We have pages of great books to choose from including, antique books, mysteries, cookbooks, dictionaries, books on tape, self-help, and even a large National Geographic space-age atlas. Sure, most of our books may be used, but if it’s out of print and you can’t find it elsewhere then wouldn’t that make it even more special? To that point; here’s a book you may want to consider: Hondo by Louis L’ Amour-copyright 1953, Bantam Books printing-1983, leather bound with gold signature on cover, like new and only $9.00 and there’s still time to take advantage of the less expensive Media shipping rates. On a side note: Look for more books to be added to our book category within a week.

If nothing I've mentioned sparked an interest with you I’m sure there is something on our Amazon Store that would work and you'll be surprised to see that the prices are so reasonable.

Decorating Ideas
Our series of decorating ideas continue with this week’s lesson on Ten Ways to Fill a Vase. Let’s get right to it then.

An empty glass vase is just waiting for you to fill it with your own personal sense of style and creativity. There are so many shapes and styles of vases to choose from: cylinders, squares, curvy or classic. Whether you have a collection of vases from floral deliveries or have found a few deals at your favorite Online Thrift store, simple glass vases offer you a budget-friendly opportunity to renew your decor. Use these ten ideas as a starting point and let your imagination transform a vase before your eyes!

1. Fruit Filled: Use real or artificial fruit to add a burst of fresh color to your room. Green apples, lemons or limes are all good choices because they don’t need to be refrigerated. Layer fruits with different colors and textures in a wide-mouthed vase or use one fruit type for a thoroughly clean, modern look.

2. Lots of Moss: Moss is often used as filler or an accent inside a vase along with other plants or flowers as the focal point. Instead, try filling an entire vase with fuzzy, green texture. For a unified motif, fill vases of different sizes and shapes with layers of moss and place them throughout a room.

3. Pretty Plumes: Create an arrangement in a cylinder vase using tall, fancy feathers like peacock or ostrich. Choose bright colors or neutrals depending on your overall décor. Use feathers of varying sizes and heights to mimic the look of a floral arrangement.

4. Blooms Only: Trim the blooms from fresh, dried or artificial flowers and layer them inside a vase. The more colorful and dramatic the blossoms the better, but classic white works well too, especially in an otherwise busy room. You can also just float a single bloom at the top of a small glass vase filled with water. Add a few drops of bleach to help preserve it.

5. Child’s Play: Décor in a playroom or family room should be colorful and quirky with a nod to the room’s more casual use. Choose playful objects to layer, such as wood building blocks with letters or numbers, toy cars, board games pieces or even multi-colored bouncy balls.

6. Coffee Color: A vase filled with coffee beans can add a little café atmosphere to your kitchen. Use a square vase shape to juxtapose the rounded shape of the beans. Pair the rich, dark color of the beans with spring-inspired colors like bubblegum pink or robin’s egg blue. Add the color easily with a silky ribbon tied around the vase or by setting flowers or a single candle in the center.

7. Seasonal Sensations: Change up your décor in an instant by filling a vase with signs of the season. For spring, use colorful plastic eggs or marshmallow chicks; bright green palm leaves are perfectly beachy for summer; for fall, try pine cones or gourds and for winter fill a vase with evergreen sprigs or shiny glass ornaments.

8. From the Sea: Create an island oasis with your seaside collection. Fill a tall vase with shells and coral of all shapes and sizes arranged at interesting angles. Put it on display during summer months or anytime you need a little getaway.

9. Made for Metallic: Make your vase shine with pretty metal objects. Coin collections, antique keys, mismatched silverware and costume jewels can all make an elegant impression in your space. Try a short slender vase with a wide mouth and fan out silverware around the mouth or create your own special arrangement. Place on a hutch in the dining room or use as a centerpiece for a table.

10. Fabulous Fibers: Yarn comes in all sorts of beautiful colors and soft textures and filling a vase with it is a great way to show off your hobby or just make a room feel warm and cozy. It often comes rolled in fun formations or balls, so try layering your yarn in its unused form or create and arrangement with loose scraps you’ve hung onto. Finish off the look with a pair of simple silver knitting needles poking out at the top. Make sure to display it on a high shelf or mantel if you have little ones around.

Easy Outdoor Décor
Add a sparkle of color and whimsy to your outdoor living space with a Lemon Lime Centerpiece. It uses a glass fishbowl and Mother Nature’s gifts to bring a little more sunshine into your space.

We hope you enjoyed this week's blog and that you'll let your friends know about us.

Back to Reality

2009-05-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

I hope your long Memorial Day weekend was enjoyable, and even more importantly I hope it was relaxing because now it's time to get back to reality and start preparing for the long hot summer.

I don't know about you, but my favorite starting point is switching my closet around from winter to summer. Somehow it makes me feel like I have a whole new wardrobe, when in fact it's really the same old, same old.

Once the closet is 'summer' ready, I start in on getting the house, yards and patio 'summer-ized'. In these areas I always want to do something new, but I rarely have the money for a complete make-over. Instead I scour the Internet and look for ideas from talented decorators who know how to save money on re-do's and then I use Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift Store to fill the bill!

Seemingly, and sadly, a stimulus package is the way to go this year, so why not make these ideas your decorating stimulus package?

Flaunt Candles
Add oomph to a side table or shelf with attention getting candlesticks and candles. For example these two glass candlesticks are in an intense shade of green and would stand out anywhere in the house. You can find these new candlesticks in our Home Decor category for only $3.50 for the set of two!

Paint a Wall

The speediest way to give a room a new look and on the cheap: Paint an accent wall a high-contrast color. Once in a Blue Moon doesn't sell the paint, but after you choose your color for the wall I think you'll be able to find something in one of our categories to add that special touch to the room. Don't you think so?

A Movie Star?

While watching Desperate Housewives I noticed an item sitting on a shelf in Bree's first attorney's office, which is just like this one that we have. Although a decorator item, ours is on sale for only $9.00. Honestly, (that's lawyer talk) this vase is so versatile it'll add a nice touch to any room; including a lawyer's office. Even though this vase looks great all by itself, you can add feathers, or dried foliage to give it more of a punch. Don't like the color combination? If you're really ambitious you could paint the vase in your own color choice. It's ceramic so any of the craft paints will work and then to give it that store bought look, just finish it off with a spray coat of semi-gloss sealer and no one would ever know you did-it-yourself.

Never too Old

If vintage decor is your thing and aqua is your color, how about this Blue Satin Persian Medallion Bowl from 1970? It's bright enough to add some pizazz to a room and cool enough looking to still be stylish. Or how about a room where white makes a great accent color? This antique milk glass candy dish really makes a statement with those cute little feet and the scalloped edge. You can add candy in wrappers with the same color as your decor and presto an instant accent piece!

With decorating your home anything really goes. You don't have to think or worry about what the current styles are, because it just doesn't matter. What matters is what you like and what makes you feel comfortable in your own home. You would be surprised at how many people think they have no decorating sense when in fact they do. They just haven't allowed it to be unleashed yet.

Next time I'll talk about the great outdoors-or at least your own personal great outdoors. If you want to spiff up your patio, I think we have some really neat things you can use. Sometimes you have to think outside the box though. Or if it's easier to just pick and choose, we have an entire category called Outdoor Decor with all new merchandise. You can take a peek now if you want.

2009-05-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

Longer than a Week.
So, it’s been longer than a week since our last newsletter and hopefully you didn't notice. But if you did this is why we're late: As usual, life is just full of little surprises and this time it dished out a doozey of one when it gave me a non-animal named disease. Actually it was severe sinus infection and just to make sure it kept me down, I had a stomach problem to boot. I know. This is way too much information.

New Merchandise Again!
Yes, this past week we were able to add more merchandise to the site and believe it or not, this group has a lot of wow factors for a change. As an example; how about this very cool Native American hand woven basket? Age is unknown, as is the origin.

Or perhaps you’re interested in antiques. In that case, we have a 100 year old bowl by Alfred Meakin in the Tea Leaf design. Amazingly, this bowl hasn't lost it's sheen in all of these years. This is only a very small sampling and I think if you peruse most categories you'll find, with the exception of clothing, a lot of new merchandise to pique your interest. And for all of you looking for clothing we'll be adding new merchandise in Women's and Children's clothing this week, including another group of Limited Too items. If time allows, we have more merchandise to add to other categories this week as well.

As promised, below are the instructions on a craft project to make your own floral art:
Decorating for Less
This is our second installment in Decorating for Less. This week we're going to show you how a scanner and some flowers can give you instant art.

Instant Art, Always in Bloom - These DIY garden prints add a lot of charm for not a lot of money.

So, you've been eyeing that set of framed botanical prints but just can't swallow the price. Or perhaps you love plants, but 19th-century engravings clash with your style. We've discovered it's surprisingly easy, and stylistically liberating, to produce stunning contemporary botanicals from your home computer. At left, a Gerbera daisy is transformed into a color graphic when copied as a transparency in a flatbed scanner.

Learn all the techniques on bringing your garden to life in a photo by visiting our site: http://www.gone-tomorrow.com/. Read our Newsletter posted on the site for instructions.

We hope you enjoyed this week's blog and that you'll let your friends know about us.

Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Weekend!

Remember, if you have a story, or anything you would like to share, please send it to sharon@gone-tomorrow.com and we'll include it in our newsletter and/or blog.

2009-05-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

New Merchandise Added This Week
Over sixty five new, meaning new to our store, items were added to the site this week and before the ink had even dried, several items had already sold. Snap! Just like that. Gone! Whoopee!

How about some soft skin?
At Christmas I was given a gift certificate for a massage at a local spa, which by the way, was definitely the perfect gift. A bottle of Sugar Scrub was included with the gift certificate, which I thought was nice at the time, but then I never gave it another thought. I had never heard of or used a sugar scrub before, and just wasn't sure about the usage. I was almost tempted not to ever use it, but then I finally remembered I had it and gave it a try. Are you kidding me? Where have I been all of my life? I never realized how totally stuck in my box I've been to where I never had a clue that something so wonderful existed. I've spent my entire adult life suffering from scaling skin each winter and buying non-penetrating lotion after lotion to try to make my skin soft again, while the whole time the remedy was so near at hand. Ridiculous!

So now my bottle is getting close to being empty and I decided to go the web site of the company that makes the scrub to see about buying a new bottle and have to tell you I was shocked at their price. Remember, it's sugar based. There was just no way I was going to pay $32.00 for a bottle of sugar and some oil. I continued looking for other sources and ended up finding several sites with directions on how to make the scrub. Hallelujah! It is so easy to make and once again had to wonder what rock I crawled out from under. I mean who knew?
Another important fact I learned is that sugar cane produces glycolic acid, one of the natural alpha hydroxy acids that exfoliates the skin. Again, who knew?

Below are a couple of recipes to make your own sugar scrub. Trust me, you won't be sorry.

Sugar Scrub #1
This super-simple formula has been softening and nourishing skin for centuries.
It only calls for two ingredients, and the results will gently exfoliate dead skin cells, improve skin clarity and softness, and stimulate your glandular system.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup sugar
Enough cold-pressed oil (olive, wheat germ, peanut, corn, or sunflower) to dampen the mixture. You may also add a drop of your favorite essential oil. Check to see if your essential oils needs to be diluted before touching your skin.
Gently massage this exfoliating scrub all over your body and face* before you shower with a light soaping and rinse. Repeat once or twice a month.

*I've used the scrub I have on my face, but if you have extremely sensitive skin you may want to skip this part.
The next scrub uses more ingredients, but only if you want to add the other items.

Scrub #2
50 Percent white cane sugar

50 percent vegetable glycerin to moisten the sugar. Basically this means olive oil, avocado oil or something similar.

Small amounts of aloe vera gel, if desired

1 or 2 drops of essential oil if desired. Try combining orange and lavender

Enough ground hibiscus powder for a pink color-if desired.

Combine the ingredients in a bowl, scoop some of the scrub onto your hand and massage gently onto your skin for a minute (The scrub will actually tighten onto your skin like a masque) Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes before rinsing.

Warning: Once you use this scrub, you'll never stop!

Here is a variation of the sugar scrub I thought was worth adding to the mix.

Banana Scrub
Too many bananas in the fruit bowl? Skip the banana bread and feed your skin instead with this luxuriant yet simple homemade banana body sugar scrub.

Bananas are a natural for body care. Their creamy pulp is luscious and soothing, and works well as a carrier for other ingredients. Banana is nourishing and moisturizing and can be used for gentle exfoliation and skin-tightening.

In this simple formula, bananas and sugar are combined for a wonderfully aromatic and gently exfoliating body scrub.

INGREDIENTS
1 ripe banana
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or your favorite essential oil (optional)

Mash ingredients together with a fork into a chunky paste. Do not over mix or it will become too watery. If you want a banana scrub for your face, reserve some of the banana and mash it separately without sugar.

In the shower, slather the sugar mixture over your body avoiding the shower flow if possible and gently massage over your body. For your face, gently massage plain banana, avoiding the eye area. Rinse off with warm water.

How many times have bananas gone bad, and you end up throwing them out? Countless times for me and so now I have alternative usage to making banana cake or whatever. Something I rarely do, by the way.

I hope you find this information useful and that you give one of the recipes a try. I will.

Decorating Sense

2009-04-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

This week and in future weeks I'll be focusing on decorating ideas. I love decorating and I love being able to create things with decorating in mind. I found this first article in our series and thought there was no way I could say it any better than the author, Kimberly Danger. You'll soon agree as you begin to read: Get the Pottery Barn Look for Less. (Who wouldn't want to do that?)

Get the Pottery Barn Look for Less
by Kimberly Danger

I love the Pottery Barn. All those clean, sophisticated-yet-casual rooms look so refined. When I get the catalogs in the mail, I practically drool on the pages as I lust after the good life represented within. Surely the über-chic imaginary mom who lives there has her act together. She gives me hope that one day my life will be as organized and classy as hers.

Then reality strikes. For one: Real people live in my house. Where the heck in their catalog do you see the underwear on the floor and crayon on the wall? Secondly: While my tastes may be sophisticated, my budget is not. I’m faced with the frugal Pottery Barn lovers’ dilemma: A chair or groceries for a month? Hmm…. Let me see. It’s not a tough decision to make if you’ve ever dealt with hungry kids.

While I can’t deny that a real family lives in my home, I can do what I can to try and duplicate the look for less. Here are some strategies I have learned:

Big Spaces = Big Impact
To maximize impact, focus on the spaces in your room that cover the most surface area: the floors and walls. Paint can have the biggest impact of all, and is often the cheapest way to change the look for your home. Like the wall color in the PB catalog? Take the catalog to your paint store. They can scan it and match the color for you exactly (remember, it can look different under different lighting situations).

PB is also known for its great Oriental rugs, which add warmth and sophistication to each room (and doesn’t everyone want to appear warm and sophisticated?). Their big impact often carries a hefty price tag, however, and many of these rugs are $700 on up. When redoing our living room, I found a similar rug at Home Depot. While it may not be woven from fine wool, it looks terrific and was under $200.

Don’t Overlook the Details
What makes these rooms truly appealing often isn’t the furniture, but the funky accent pieces. Let your own individuality shine by adding unique tchotchkes you or other family members may already have around the house. Turn your own photos into masterpieces using photo editing software to antique them with a sepia or B&W tint. Take the dust jackets off your hardcover books and stack them to create an interesting tablescape. By using your own things you’ll be creating an even more personalized look than the faux-antique pieces peddled by Pottery Barn.

If your basement isn’t stocked with Grandma’s kitchy castoffs, a steady supply of trinkets is available through eBay, online thrift stores, and garage sales. While shopping secondhand is nothing new to an experienced frugalista, knowing what to look for takes some practice and a discerning eye and an open mind. What can you disassemble, paint, or use as a centerpiece? Vases, ceramics, antique postcards, art prints, frames, and other items can often be found on the cheap so be sure to take a look.

Where Can I Get It?
If you haven’t already, discover Ikea. This Swedish mega-store is the decorating mom’s dream. With everything from slipcovered sofas to kitchen gadgets – all with clever Swedish names - this store has it all. You can even get 99 cent kids’ meals in their cafeteria and drop off the tykes in their playroom while you shop. Don’t overlook their scratch-and-dent section, often located near the checkout. One note of caution: in order to pass on great prices to their customers, most of their furniture requires assembly. As your husband is swearing under his breath while assembling your LACK coffee table or ALVE desk, remind him how much money you saved.

If you don’t live near Ikea, don’t give up your decorating dreams just yet. Stores like Target also offer great home design on a budget. Designers like Cynthia Rowley, Isaac Mizrahi and Michael Graves, make upscale pieces affordable for the masses. Don’t forget to comb their endcaps for markdowns bearing orange stickers. Don’t be shy. Ask the sales associate when the next round of markdowns will occur. At most Target stores, it’s typically Thursday for housewares. Often times the clearance items will ring up the sale price before they’re ticketed that way, so it pays to scan them yourself to find out.

Other retailers like Crate and Barrel, Pier One, TJ Maxx, and Marshall’s are all great places to look. But to a budget decorator, that’s obvious. Don’t forget to look in out of the way places. Your hardware store may have lower-priced lighting, fixtures, and shelving systems that look eerily similar to those 2-3 times the price at PB. Baskets, candle accessories, frames, and florals can be found in the home decorating sections of craft stores like Michael’s and Joann Fabrics. Lower prices combined with the 40-50% off coupons in their flyers can add up to big savings. Your dollar store may have some surprises as well. On a recent trip I scored a glass vase and decorative rocks – for $2.

You’re Not Done Yet!
Even with a truckload of PB gear and a million-dollar house to put them in, it’s not going to look like it does in the catalog if it’s not arranged the right way. Let the catalog be your guide. Study the pages to see how shelves are arranged, what is placed on tables, and how wall displays are hung on the wall. The difference lies in the details, so pay attention to them!

Everyone can take inspiration from PB and make their lives a little more beautiful without spending big bucks. So, go ahead and indulge your decorating fetish. Any mom can be a design star -- even with underwear on the floor.

About the Author: Kimberly Danger is the owner/publisher of Mommysavers.com, and online resource for parents interested in saving time and money. She is the author of 1000 Best Baby Bargains. Ms. Danger lives in Southern Minnesota with her husband and two kids.

Next week's blog edition will cover instructions on how to create photo quality images that are fit for framing, such as in this photo:

Until next week!

Don't forget, you can add your comments to this blog.

2009-04-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow! I can't believe it's almost Mother's Day.

After sailing through an uneventful Easter, I realized Mother's Day was in fact just around the corner. I don't know why, but I started thinking about the how and why of Mother's Day. Of course we all know the obvious reasons we celebrate the day, but I knew there had to be something more behind the celebration besides it being just a Hallmark inspiration.

Sure enough, Mother's Day was originally conceived as a very noble gesture, and was celebrated in the most simplistic manner-A day at church with everyone wearing a white carnation. Almost immediately though, the day evolved into a commercial enterprise run by greed hogs and profit mongers. After spending a couple of days mulling over this new information I realized that this outcome was inevitable. I mean if you think about what we had available back in 1914 when Mother's Day was proclaimed a National Holiday, in comparison to what we have today; how could it not have evolved into this huge cash cow 95 years later?

Cash Cow or Not. It's Mother's Day!

Regardless of how commercial Mother's Day has become, you know you're going to buy a gift for your mom. So with that thought in mind I went 'shopping' to see what unique gift selections are available this year. Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift Store was my first stop because believe it or not we have many new items that are suitable for gift giving: First item on my list is a Mother's Day plate by Bing & Grondahl. This plate is from 1971 and is called Kittens. It's priced at only $8.00.

Another great idea-The new Star Trek movie is due to be released on May 8, 2009 and lo and behold we have the Star Trek 25th Anniversary plate available. If you're mom is a Trekie, how cool would it be to give her a couple of movie tickets along with the 25th Anniversary collector plate? I'd say very cool for a Trekie.

I stopped by our Outdoor Decor category where we have wind chimes, bird feeders, bird houses and even a lovely candle holder. This is all new merchandise and any one of the items would be something mom would love and enjoy for many years.

What about a book? If your mom is a collector of antique books, we have some really nice books available. To name just one author, we have two Lucy Fitch Perkins early 1900's books. We also have dozens of cookbooks available. These would be great for a mom that loves to cook new dishes. Lastly, we have a very neat National Geographic Atlas of North America-The space Age Portrait of a Continent. This book has some of the most awesome space photos, as you would expect from National Geographic. If this book isn't right for mom, Father's Day is in June!

Every mom loves jewelry, right? Right! So is it any wonder I would make a stop in our Pendants and Pins category where almost all items are new and therefore suitable for gift giving? I chose the Russian brooches to spotlight because of their beauty and also because of their collectibility. These wearable art pieces are hand painted on Mother of Pearl by artisans of Russia and these particular pieces were originally picked by me through a Russian friend. We have 2 sizes and 3 designs to choose from.

Finally, you must visit our Amazon Store. The link is on our site. I found this Smartparts SP72 7-Inch Digital Picture Wood Frame with Beige Matting(Espresso) for only $45.98-Reduced from $79.99. Add your own photo to personalize. This is for sure the lowest price I think I've ever seen a digital picture frame priced. This may be worth a look see.

There are plenty more items on our site that would also make an appropriate gift, but half the fun of buying a gift is hunting for it too. So I'll leave that up to you.

Before heading on home from my day of shopping I made one last stop at a site called Kolobags. This is a one-stop shop for everyone looking for technology fashion without compromising on style. The online boutique (www.kolobags.com) offers the widest array of designer laptop bags, specialty bags and technology accessories. You'll find a price point for every pocket book and a style for all tastes. One other note to self: Check out their re-bagz. They're environmentally friendly items and since Earth Day is/was April 22, 2009 it's an appropriate gift. I think Earth Day should be every day, but no one asks me for my opinion. The re-bagz are made with either recycled rice sacks or recycled juice packs. The product line-up is business card holders to laptop cases and they're all on sale now!

So that was my last stop. I hope you enjoyed your day of shopping as much as I did. Maybe we can do it again next week.

Postage is Increasing Again!

Yes, another raise to postage rates. This time they're hitting 1st class mail, which is going up to .44 cents from .42 cents. Also rising in price is Media Mail, Parcel Post (Huge increases of over a dollar per weight category) 1st class parcels, and 1st class flat mail. Priority Mail will see no change. The new rates take effect on Monday, May 11, 2009. Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift Store will not be adjusting our shipping rates.

Follow up

I finally finished fixing all of the photos with the exception of books. There are 8 pages of books and I just couldn't face another page of photos. I will finish them though. The changes I've been making will decrease the amount of disk space I require, which is a huge plus. But going through some of the photos, I'm ashamed at the quality. Some day when I have nothing better to do, I'll reshoot all the bad photos.

I think by the first of next week I'll be in a position to start adding new merchandise. I know some of my customers are always happy to hear that news!

Don't forget. You can comment on this blog.

Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift Store Blog

2009-04-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Instead of issuing our usual newsletter, I thought I would try my hand at blogging. In all honesty this isn't an idea I developed on my own. I recently met someone on Facebook who writes her own newspaper articles/blogs for a living and it was at her suggestion I get out of the Stone Age. Her name is Eve Hammond Bushman and she's the author of Eve's Wine 101. As you can tell from the title her expertise is in wines, so for me to ask for her help in writing a blog about an online thrift store would have been fruitless. (Pun intended)

Personally, I think it's a plus to know someone who knows everything you'd ever want to know about wine. Trust me it is not easy to choose a wine for a special dinner and especially if you are anything like me - wine ignorant beyond belief. To help with making my-special-dinner-wine selection I would often ask a grocery store clerk for their recommendation. The irony is most of the clerks are even more ignorant than I am; at least I know where they keep the wine. I'm sure I'll be chastised for attempting to buy a 'good' wine at a grocery store. But hey, I already admitted I know nothing about wine. Nada, zip, nil, NOTHING.
So even though wine doesn't have anything to do with our online thrift store, other than us having some wine glasses for sale, I hope you'll take a few minutes to read Eve's blog and see for yourself how much she really does know about wine.

Blogging

Because I am new to Blogging I found it to be far more intimidating than writing a newsletter. Seriously, I looked at each of the blogs I've included in my Blog List and just felt so overwhelmed by the expertise shown in each of them. My initial thought was 'How am I ever going to have a Blog that looks and sounds like this one.' Truth is, maybe I won't. Another truth is; maybe theirs wasn't so good in the beginning either. One thing I know for sure: Everything gets better over time and with experience. Even wine!

The Real News of the Week

New Product

This past week we added a new product to our lineup: Brand new, beautifully designed hand-beaded tank tops in three popular colors; black, white and tan. Sizes are Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. These tanks are so versatile you won't have to wait until summer to wear one: For your work day, add a jacket for an office chic look and then later when you're headed off for wine and dinner, remove the jacket to show off the fabulous bead work. You can find the tanks in our Women's Clothing category.

Our Amazon Store

When I first set up our Amazon.com store I was really timid about showcasing products, and primarily because I didn't know what would be of interest to the majority. Well, things have changed! This past week I showcased Hannah Montana dolls for a few days, and when it came time to change it up again, I added every product I could find. Now you'll be able to hunt through items ranging from A to Z and hopefully you won't be like me and not know what a few of the things are or what they do. For example: How many of you have heard of an Essential Wine Aerator? I pass! No problem because it's easy to find in our Amazon store.
I think you have to admit, whatever it is it certainly fits with the theme of this blog.

Venturi Essential Wine Aerator

It makes wine taste better in just seconds

Follow up

In one of my recent newsletters, I wrote about how I was ripped off by a company selling the Acai Berry capsules for weight loss. Connie, one of our good customers emailed me to say that Good Morning America did a story on the Acai Berry diet and said there was no proof that the product does what they say it does. Even if it does do what they say it should, I think having a company use my credit card as a blank check every month is, or at least should be, a felony.

New Merchandise

In case you missed our last few newsletters; we have been adding new merchandise just about every week. New items were added to: Original Art, Print Art, Children's Clothing, Outdoor Decor, Dance and Gymnastics Wear, Women's Clothing, Home Decor, House Wares, Antiques and Jewelry. Some of the new additions to our merchandise line-up have even sold already! Currently we're in the process of trying to enhance all of the photos on the site and once we're finished with that tedious project we'll start adding new merchandise again.

Don't forget we're offering Layaway service now. The customers who have taken advantage of the service seem to be very pleased. My feeling is it's nice to know there is a backup plan for you if money is tight right now. Why miss out on something just because you don't have the full amount available? Layaway is the Answer! Contact us for more information: cs@gone-tomorrow.com

Final Thoughts

My neighbor and Facebook friend, Linda has a saying on her profile that really hits home with me, especially because I am such a prolific writer: "I wonder as I write, do I have anything important to say? I wonder as I write, do I have to say anything important?" I'll just have to let you be the judge of that.

And with that being said, this is the end of our first blog. Let me know if Blogging is better for you than sending our newsletter.

You can post comments to this blog. You'll find the button below.

Thanks,

Sharon