Saturday

My weekend started Saturday morning with my nine year-old son Payson sneaking into bed with me.  He’d had a bad dream, a dream where I was no longer his mommy.

“I was so scared,” he said as he told me the details of his dream.

I held onto him tight while he cried into my shoulder.

I told him all the reasons why I loved him; he makes me laugh, how I love the way the wind blows through his hair when he runs, how he’s so sweet when he dances with his little sister, how he’s always the first one to try something new, and so on.  The baby has learned to crawl out of her crib, so she was in bed with us snuggling for a while too and finally started crying for her bottle.

The counselor picked up a dozen donuts and had them waiting for us on the table when we finally got out of bed. The little kids went with Daddy to the park, so Chandler and Payson went to garage sales with me. 
After hitting Jamba Juice, we found this $20.00 over-sized denim chair at a garage sale.  

It barely fit in the car, but with a little rope, we managed to get it home.  I have it listed on craigslist for $60.00.

I made fresh salsa salad for lunch.  

This recipe is one of my favorites.  Tomatoes, orange and yellow pepper, avocado, cilantro, feta cheese and a squeeze of lime juice.  Add a few tortilla chips, and it’s salsa with a fork.

After lunch, the kids did the unthinkable, yes, that’s them and the sweet neighbors in the pool.  

Not even 80 degrees outside yet, but they had to try it.

Payson's freezing and not sure if he'll take the plunge again.  

A few weeks ago I found this amazing vintage hutch for $50.00.  

In my $5.00 Speed Control Goodwill dress, I finally take the fixtures off and start sanding it down.  I still don't have official painting clothes, mainly because I'm too impatient to change.  I try to be very careful, but if I ruin too many clothes I'm sure I'll finally concede that I need to paint in real down n' dirty paint clothes.  

This hutch is going in my non-pantry. 

What’s a non-pantry? 

It’s a little hallway off your kitchen that you’re trying to turn into a pantry because you don’t really have a pantry.  I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Just peeking out are the blossoms of our apricot tree. 

I find Chandler relaxing on the hammock after his freezing swim in the pool.  The sun sure does feel wonderful.

Spring is just around the corner.

How was your weekend?

Guaranteed Clothing Sales for the New EBay Seller: What sells best in the spring/summer?

A follower of My Dear Trash sent me an email with a request.

“Can you please feature what clothing brands sell best for you on Ebay?” she wrote.

Of course I would love to, but the writer in me can’t do anything simple. By all means, let me make it complex by breaking it down into a series I’ll call “Guarented Clothing Sales for the New EBay Seller.” Now that’s a challenge I can dig my teeth into. Seriously, I have years and years of EBay photos. It’s a blast looking through them & pulling out my best sellers. Every article of clothing has a story behind it. Some are stories of success and others are stories of failure. It’s freaky how I remember what individual items sold for. When I’m old and gray, I’ll be shouting out clothing measurements and listing prices in my sleep.

I find the change of seasons brings a whole new wave of shoppers to the EBay market. People want to put away their parkas and breakout a Hawaiian Print shirt. Summer vacations are being planned and most women in American are on some sort of diet to look great for swimsuit season. Guess who will sell them their summer dresses?

Over the years, I’ve found some brands that sell great for spring and summer, so let's get started.

In Arizona, I find a lot Fresh Produce clothing at thrift stores. There clothes are fun and light with great prints and easy care. Just throw this dress in a beach bag and you're ready to go. This dress sold for $17.50.

Here are a few other Fresh Produce finds.

Tommy Bahama is a great investment for EBay listings, but it doesn't sell well in the winter. These shirts are hot in the spring and summer. Hey, men want to look good too. The more colorful, the better. TB silk Hawaiian shirts usually sell in the $25.00 range.

I'd never heard of Jam's World until I started selling on EBay. I remember the first time I found one of these prints. To say they're bold is an understatement. I wasn't sure if I should invest in such a loud shirt or not, but I can tell quality when I see it. JW clothing usually sells in the $25.00 range. If you can pick them up for $1.00, then you've got a great product.

I also really like Patagonia. Their clothing is high-quality and usually organic with simple lines and earthy colors. I don't find Patagonia often, but it's always a thrill when I do.

Hot Cotton is 100% linen of pure summer; also with bold colors and fabulous quality. They sell in the $20.00 range.

I also sell plenty of short overalls, anything linen and lots of summer dresses. But don't think you can pass up looking at coats and sweaters. The summer is the best time to start shopping for the Fall/Winter season. I store bags of clothes in my garage for the next season and it really pays off.