The Special Plans for the G-Kid Force to spend a weekend with extended Family fell thru... I got my Wellies ready just in case the Perfect Storm would be brewing since they'de been happily anticipating the visit for the past two weeks and would surely be disappointed and feel let down. The Storm didn't come... they Rolled with it... *Whew... Okay, so I can take my Wellies off apparently!?*
While they should have been away for the weekend I had happily anticipated going thru the Closets, Cabinets and every Nook and Cranny at Bohemian Valhalla without interruption. To intensify the Great Edit and Purge Process and Turn some personal possessions into Inventory for Cash to Fund the Family Court Process I'll apparently have to now go thru for Princess T's Surgery, unless I find someone willing to do some Pro Bono work?! And obtain Power of Attorney on behalf of The Man to handle all of his affairs since he no longer can. I'd decided to Roll with some things too... sometimes you just hafta.
"We'll Help!" they chimed in when they recognized my intentions. This would give Princess T ample opportunity to do what she does best... Organize and Clean... and try on everything Gramma would be Flipping. Playing Devil's Advocate every now again by asking me if I was SURE I really wanted to Sell it? Well, sometimes not really, but hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do Kid. And I've got a total Peace about my decisions once I've made them, falling out of Love with my stuff when it's Necessary is just easier for me than when it's Not Necessary.
It Helps that she turned on her Nook to Twenties and Thirties Music on 'Pandora' and such Tunes as "Happy Days Are Here Again", "Under Paris Skies", "In The Mood" and "Jump Jive 'An Wail" are Playing as we make Fun Tags for my stuff being Sold Off. So we can Dance around being Silly and in a Good Mood as we bid Farewell to piles of Inventory that will now be Showroom bound.
I must say that my Fur Cape did look Cute draped on Princess T and reminded me of why I'm Selling it... and it looks Smashing on New Vintage Dress Form Yanaha in Showroom #133, she wears it well. Besides, not many ops to wear Fur in the Arizona Desert anyway, it just doesn't get THAT Cold. And since we've been a Family of Hunters and Gatherers, it always makes my PETA aligned Friends Happy when I have less Vintage Fur anyway. And now The Man isn't likely to be Hunting anymore either. Don't get too excited, we're not likely to become Vegan. *Winks*
And unlike the Adorable Maxine {Love her Character} don't worry, I wasn't Crabby about Letting Go of anything that went out the door or is going out the door. I'm Surprisingly Enjoying the Process, which is kinda Weird in a way since I Love just about everything I'm parting with.
Typically it would have been creating more Anxiety to be this decisive about this whole Process and the 'Keep' or 'Not Sure' piles would have been larger and needed to be gone thru again later. I want it done in one fell swoop now though and before I can change my Mind and become indecisive or waffle. Very liberating to decide with less Emotional or Sentimental Attachments. Me Letting Go of such Treasures as Architectural Salvage gleened over the Years was previously unheard of, I Hoarded it for Future Projects! And usually had a Memory and Story of every Old razed building it came from on the 'Rescue'! *LOL*
It is however, difficult to have Princess T around whilst being decisive about Vintage Toys... she's often falling IN Love as I'm falling OUT of Love. *LOL* But moving it from my stash to her stash is NOT the ultimate Goal.
Especially given the Age, Scarcity and Fragility of most Vintage Toys, given Condition being everything with Selling Vintage Treasures. I can only Imagine what they might look like after a good Play with by the Beast Princess!?! And after having Survived this long virtually intact after Generations of having been Played with already, we're not risking it. *Smiles*
I'm quick to point out the existing flaws and Condition Issues to her so she has a better understanding that these things are OLD... like Gramma... so can't be Played with as hard anymore! Yeah, they see what happens when Gramma still tries to Play hard... so they 'Get It' and decide the Old Toys are probably better off in somebody's Collection and Care that won't be inclined to Go Hard! *Winks*
And besides Kiddo, weren't we JUST in the Store pickin' out your Birthday Gifts of New Toys that cost Gramma a fortune the other day? Remember... that entire entourage of 'Monster High' Hoochie Mama's you HAD to have and Negotiated so Hard on to receive?!? *Winks*
Because in True Gypsy Gal Negotiation Mode of coarse she was Selling me on the fact that if you buy the SET Gramma, it only comes out to about ten bucks a doll... opposed to the twenty bucks or more for only ONE... so I'm SAVING you Money and we're getting a better DEAL!!! Knowing full well that the Key Words of 'Saving' and 'Deal' are a Gal's Shopping Mantra if there's no SALE. *Winks* Well... at least I know she's learning her Math in Second Grade even if I'm duckin' and divin' to avoid her Teacher most days due to the Behavioral and Depression Thing in Class. *LOL* But I'm kinda weary of hearing that she's too Withdrawn when she's Quiet and too Chatty when she's Talking... gimme and her a break already Lady, Geez! So yeah, she got the SET for her Birthday, I caved and increased the spending budget... 'cause that's what us Gramma's usually do. I'll probably die broke anyway at this rate and magnitude of Personal Crisis going on, so why not!
And Prince R's Idea of 'Helping' is just to get into everything and explore out of pure Curiosity, like a Toddler would, and probably lose it or break it before we can even Organize and Price it!!! Especially the Smalls, he's definitely Intrigued by boxes of Smalls he's never seen or handled yet... because being him, he HAS to touch and fiddle with everything! *Le Sigh*
I totally 'Get' the Intrigue of Smalls though, bits and bobs, the Smallest of Found Treasures are my biggest Hoarding Temptations because, as an Artist, I always have the Vision and see the Possibilities of them being in some Future Creation. And since they don't take up so much room... well, unless you have a Cache of them like I seem to have accumulated... you can Justify Holding On to them in your own Head Space... 'til the Space for them outside your Head mandates it's 'Time' to Cull that Hoard too! *LOL* So... many will go... and a select few will be 'Keepers', but not nearly as many as before.
Since I've been Stalling on the Creative Process as well and must really discern what I'll actually get around to Creating I've been concentrating on what I don't need to Create in order to Turn a Profit at more expediently anyway. The Kiddos Help with telling Gramma what's On Trend and their Peers and Younger Adults are diggin' right now.
And why Thirteen Year Old Prince R knew that Young Gals are totally diggin' Victoria Secret's "Pink" Dogs Line, or even knew about Victoria's Secret period, well, I didn't even wanna KNOW?!? *LOL* But to have some Fun with him... I did ASK! *Bwahahaha!!!* Okay, so his Aunts are old enough to be going to and wearing Victoria's Secret, I'll buy that line and they probably took him with them Shopping at the Mall... but the Friends from his School... yeah, I knew that would put the Blush on him! *Wicked Gramma Cackle* But I'm not so Old I forget what it was like to be Young... besides, I recall and Lived thru his Mom wearing Victoria's Secret as Outer Wear during the 'Madonna Material Girl Like A Virgin' Era. So not much shocks me anymore. *Smiles*
Francophiles will be pleased with some of the Inventory heading to Showroom #114. Gotta Love anything French or New Orleans French Quarter Style.
And FINALLY we're pulling some Halloween together in the Vignettes at my Showrooms even though I still haven't even started at Home. That will be the next Major Project around this Old House, Hopefully next Weekend if they end up actually going to stay with Extended Family and I can concentrate on getting into the Seasonal Storage without an entourage in tow?!? *Winks*
I'll be suitably Inspired after having attended the Halloween Inspired Event this coming Wednesday Night at The Sweet anyway. Once I'm in the total Mood for Halloween I'll be a Halloween Decorating Maniac since I Love setting that Atmosphere up at Home and reveling in it for as long as possible. My Alter Ego would be Elvira Like after all... if I still had a body like hers I'd be Rockin' an ensemble like that I tell ya, I really would!!! *Winks*. Gotta Love Elvira, she still ROCKS for a more Mature Woman!
Oddly, Purging and Editing my Seasonal Items has always been effortless for me because I never want any two years to look identical or similar anyway, so I always want a Fresh Look for the Holidays and only have a few 'Keepers' in my Seasonal Decor Stash.
Plus, Halloween is the one Season I tend to always buy some new Decor for, not a lot, but some. And you know the Rule... one thing in, five things OUT! I've even been recently upping the ante to even more OUT every time I make a single purchase, it really helps me to pump the brakes as a consumer. And to concentrate more on Selling rather than buying. I will probably always Love to Shop, but now I'm much more Content to Window Shop, browse and soak in Inspiration without necessarily buying a thing or having to have anything in particular. My Purchases now tend to be more Mission Based Purchases that satisfy a Function and actual Need at Home.
Loved the 'Homie Jesta' that the G-Kid Force Sourced just in time for Halloween! Clown Dolls are always so Creepy anyway aren't they, even if they aren't meant to be! *LOL* And I 'Scored' some Cool Anatomy Cards just in time for Halloween and packaged some up for Sale... I plan to use some in my Decor this year since I'm going for that Mad Scientist Laboratorie Theme.
Packaged them in sets of six for seven bucks... Princess T and I Love Packaging our Smalls and they're popular sellers so Smalls always Turn fast. I think most folks have a weakness for Tiny Treasures that don't cost much and are an easily affordable Indulgence during a Shopping Spree and won't take up too much room at Home.
We sorted through the stacks to pick out a few for our Vignettes for Halloween this year at Home... and the rest are up for grabs for as long as they last.
Anatomy Charts have always fascinated me and I'd like to get some Antique ones if I can ever Source any at a decent price. Along with their Rarity they also tend to be expensive though when you can find them... Vintage and Antique Pharmacy Apothecary Jars too, though I've managed to procure some of those over the years for my Personal Collections when I can find or make a Deal.
What are some of the Items on your Personal Wish Lists this Year? What WOULDN'T you pass up?
For me some of the best sellers have been Globes and Maps, so I constantly Source them because I have a hard time keeping them in Inventory very long and run out quickly. Sold all my Globes and Thankfully found a couple more right away... then comes the Swap at Home... if I find one that I like better than one in my own Collection and Swap it out to Upgrade. Sometimes it's hard when they're equally desireable, as was the case with a couple of Tan ones with Hardwood Bases... so this one Lost Out by a very narrow margin and is now in Showroom #114 being replaced at Home by the other Tan one I recently Sourced and liked a wee smidgen better. Can't tell you how long I stood them side by side though debating and deliberating!!! *LOL*
Do you do that too when you're Upgrading a Collection? And have decided you aren't keeping them ALL this time, some hafta GO! Such is the case with Globes at our House... I've limited my Personal Collection of Globes to four... and can't tell you how many times others have rotated out of the Collection and been replaced to keep it at that size! *Smiles* That's why I Love having Retail Space though... makes the Upgrading or downsizing of Personal Collections much easier and pain free for me.
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian