I had an appointment yesterday to have the shop carpet professionally cleaned (they canceled and rescheduled for next week). I needed to pick everything up off the floor and ended up cleaning the whole shop. I rearranged a bit and it's looking really great!
Tomorrow is our backyard sale and it looks like it will be the hottest day of the year so far. I only have a couple more boxes of items to price tonight. Stop by for great deals, especially the last remaining old stock items from Copabananas. It's all priced to go!
This Saturday our backyard will be
turned into a carnival of super-fun-everything-must-go-great-deals-to-be-had extravaganza! My neighbors Katie and Mark are collaborating with us and it will surely be a day to remember. Among the treasures offered will be Polaroid cameras, vintage items including vintage fabric, tons of kids stuff like clothes and toys, an old typewriter, a large beautiful rug with padding, a tv, records, an army cot, gas grill, leather jackets, cds, dvds, books, kitchen items, appliances, a bike trailer, and lots of merchandise from Copabananas that I no longer carry like paper products, decorations, packages of plastic knives, Halloween costumes...and sooo much more. What will make this super fun, though, is that Katie will also be doing caricatures and her cousin will be selling her gourmet baked goods! Our next door neighbors are on board to have their yard sale that day too and I'm sure we will defeat any other neighborhood yard sale that tries to compete with us! Earlybirds are welcome and we'll be open from 8 until 4. Located on the dead end part of Forest St. off Chestnut.
I just need to point out, as I wipe tears of laughter away from my eyes, the latest link I added over there to the left<<<. Yogabeans! is plastic action figures demonstrating Ashtanga Yoga. It is hysterical and I highly recommend that you check it out!
I try not to browse on Threadless too often because it's so tempting to buy more t-shirts than I can afford. I did visit today, though, and found 2 designs I love! Clockwork Kit and S'more 101 are 2 shirts I must own!
The Favorite Doll Tea was yesterday. Here's some pics...
Two cool things I saw on the interweb today: Terracycle reuses packaging while donating to charity and neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor tells an inspirational story about her stroke and how she studied it as it happened.
For weeks now I've had the book sale at the Unitarian Church on my calendar. I was especially looking forward to it this year since I've been cutting images from books for the collage magnets. I was like a kid in a candy shop and with Abby's help I filled 2 grocery bags with exactly what I was looking for: kids encyclopedias, cookbooks, dictionaries, and anything how to. I made some collages this week too.
I just discovered I was tagged by Karessa and Gene at The Scenic Route. I fell in love with their upcycled books and this is how they repay me???!!! Only kidding...so 7 things most people don't know about me:
1). I juggle clubs. Always looking for someone to pass with, especially now that spring is coming!
2). I'm really jealous of my friend who just bought a house!
3). I'm boycotting Starbucks for good, including coffee by the pound at the supermarket. It means going to Whole Foods but that's okay, I like their Allegro extra dark french roast better anyway.
4). I watched Into The Wild the other night and was surprised how much I liked it.
5). I watched Awake and like that too.
6). I'm forcing myself to be happy about dyeing Easter eggs because I don't really want to do it this year.
7). I don't know what I want for dinner tonight.
I'm tagging Ana Paula.
...where I just list search terms people have used and found this blog.
v mask
minature food erasers
Accoutrements toy accordion
vintage decorations
hillbilly hat
anne taintor mugs
hypotrochoid art set
smuggler's attic
3d cat cards
toy fair
mini chairs
I noticed that I had a large pile of papers next to my printer that were the result of being printed poorly or by mistake. I think most people might have a pile of papers like that. I also have a lot of file folders and some invoices form the old store. I gathered them up with some other miscellaneous papers around and made some 4 x 6 books that can be used as notebooks or scrapbooks. I sewed the books on my sewing machine and finished them with some cool Smurf babies tape. I think they're cute and it was just the biblio-therapy I needed to get me out of the bad mood I've been in the past few days.
I'm still making monkeys and gLove Story Dolls, but this week I've been distracted with another project. I've been making simple 1.5" round collage magnets from old maps, vintage cookbooks, and other retro images. Thanks to Juliet from Mis en Scene for talking me out of the expensive pin back button/badge maker I told her I wanted to get! These are way more interesting and fun to make!
I made a new banner for the Etsy store. I love Photoshop!
Besides spending a lot of time making monkeys and dolls I've been networking a lot. I'm really glad I started the Flickr site because not only does it organize my growing picture collection but it made me realize just how many gLove Story Dolls I've made in the past year!
I gave the blog a new look, in case you didn't notice. I took away the column of thumbnail pictures on the left and now it's 3 columns. This gives me more freedom to add things like the Etsy Mini and widgets which I couldn't do before. Maybe you wouldn't have noticed if I didn't say anything?
Right before Christmas, Filomena Jack from Quilts and Such stopped in. She told me she's moving to Montclair! She's opening up on Walnut St. near Trumpets as she details on her blog. Since she won't be doing so much retail, mostly workshops and special orders, she returned my consignment items to me yesterday. And the timing was perfect! I added the gLove Story Dolls to the collection on the Etsy store and replaced xmas decorations in the store with the wall hangings she brought back. It's great that she's in Montclair now!
Okay...I've done it...I now have an Etsy shop! Please check back often as I will be adding much more. It will be all the stuff I make so I think it will be a great showcase for the dolls and purses.
Back to "normal" now after Christmas. Looking forward to a new year, finishing school and building the store up. 
As I'm gearing up for my last 2 tests in Anatomy and Physiology and a massage practical, my sister is gearing up for the Texas Dawah Convention at the end of this month. She details her progress on her blog and it's interesting to read about her experiences.
I can't believe it's December already. So much has happened this year. And so much still to do. Looking back at old pictures is the only way I can remember all the details, I'm always so wrapped up in what to do today.
A few people have asked me about recalls on items I sell. I checked the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recall news and it looks good for me. That's great because the gnarly teeth are really popular.
I slept like crap last night and woke up with a terrible headache. I made sock monkeys while I half watched and mostly listened to a Law and Order marathon, my sister would be proud. She would have been watching too, no doubt, except that she was at the first day of the Muslim American Society Convention in Houston promoting her nonprofit bookstore/educational center, Light of Islam. I thought about her a lot today, wishing I was there to support her. I somehow managed to make apple pie and pumpkin pie for dessert. Dinner at my folks was the usual non-traditional fare, this year we had salmon, it was great. On the way home from their house I saw a remarkable number of homes already decked out for Christmas, as if they decorated today. My dad emailed our family's famous pumpkin bread recipe. This is scanned from the recipe card which came from the kitchen of the Kellogg's Pan-Tree Inn, as you can clearly see.
For a limited time, click on the picture, print out the coupon, bring it in to the store, and save 10% off any one sale over $10! We'll honor it until Halloween.
Baristanet just did a story about my new neighbor, Juliet, and her store Mis-En-Scene.
I just thought I'd take a break from studying for my first Anatomy & Physiology II lecture exam and post a couple pictures Abby took at the store last weekend. She took a lot of pictures but I thought these were interesting. Now back to the books.
Great news for my sister! She got the 501C3 tax exempt status she was waiting for! She's ready to swing into fundraising big time now! So check out her blog and please consider supporting her by making a donation!
I went camping this weekend and had a great time. I ate s'mores for breakfast and hiked around, enjoyed the campfire and watching the bats fly around at twilight. It's been a long summer, and an even longer year, so much going on. It was great to get away and enjoy the forest and forget about reality, just for a few days.
This morning I had a nice surprise when I checked my eBay store. I got 2 more positive feedbacks overnight and reached 100 so I got a turquoise star! I'll have this one for a while because it represents 100 - 499 positive feedbacks.
So yesterday I was outside the storage unit in my car to stay out of the rain while I was waiting to meet someone and I looked up at the air conditioner above the door and saw Dumpy Dolores in all her glory. Am I following her or is she following me?
It all started when my wireless router crapped out. In an effort to find a free and easy solution I chose to connect directly to my modem. That meant bringing the computer into the living room. Of course, the desk had to come with it. And now my entire house has been rearranged. So, thanks Linksys, for making crappy technology, and therefore improving the quality of my life.
I was shocked and bummed today when I drove down Valley Road and saw the huge going out of business signs at Town Video. I have gone there for years and always appreciated the fact that they were an owner-operated business and not a chain video store. I've never even considered joining a mail-order dvd company. I'll miss that shop. I guess I feel so badly because I relate to closing shop sooner than you anticipated. As rewarding as it is to be in business for yourself, it's also very challenging, especially in Montclair.
Today I took Abby to the NYC auditions for the tv show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? I was completely expecting it to be an all-day-wait-in-line fest and it was. I kind of expected it to discourage her from wanting to go to any more auditions, but surprisingly it didn't. Gratefully our friends Ale and her sister, Moni, came with us. We cracked each other up and took turns running for coffee and food and bathroom breaks as we waited on line for 8, yes I said 8, hours. Like I said, it was everything I expected it to be. The doors opened at 8am and we arrived around 8:30 to a line up the front of Javits to the entrance. It took 1 hour to get inside the building and we were hopeful since we moved relatively quickly. But once inside we saw that the line went down the escalator, all the way to the back of the hall, across the back, and then back up to the front of the hall. By 3pm we had made it to the curtained warm-up area. The warm-up was done by the line producer who took questions from the kids. Abby asked the following: "My mom told me that the kids' lines are all scripted. Is that true?". He said "Where's your mom?" but by the time he turned around to look at me I had grabbed the poster sized sign we made last night that read "ABBY IS AWESOME! PICK HER!". It was hysterical! He read it out loud and answered her question, no, their lines are not scripted. They were finally ready for us in the audition room and our group of 15 kids and their friends and family went in for the audition. The kids were supposed to prepare a little presentation about whatever they wanted. Abby talked about the parody skit of the show that she and her friends did for the school talent show and had a large mounted picture of all the girls on stage doing the skit to accompany her speech. She was called last from the group and her feet had fallen asleep from sitting on the floor so by the time she stood up she was a little wobbly. But she did great and we were all proud of her the entire day! They had 500 kids altogether and only 4 will be picked for call backs in Los Angeles. We had a great day! Here are some pictures.
Today I walked around Church Street with Abby and a friend. I had been curious if anyone had moved into my space. I was a little surprised to see that someone actually has started renovating the space. The windows were covered with paper but my signage was still there. That will be the last bit of Copabananas to go.
Last Saturday my right eye started itching and hurting. I assumed it was from the pollen in the air. Today it was really swollen so I went over to the doctor to get it checked out. I was right, it was just from the pollen and should get better. Unfortunately for me, I was asked to read an eye chart. I was shocked to realize that I couldn't read anything with my left eye when my right eye was covered. I have always been proud of the fact that I don't wear glasses but I realize now that it was only a matter of time. However, if this is the worst thing that happens to me when I turned 40 then I'm doing okay. But I'm still upset that I need to get an eye exam now!
It's the little things...I got my blue star on eBay today for 50 positive feedbacks! Yay!
If you ever need help on eBay, I've got to tell you that the live chat help is the way to go. If you can get through, that is. I had a stupid question and last night I went to live chat help and waited 45 minutes for someone to come on to help me. I gave up. So I emailed them instead. This morning their email reply was completely useless so I tried live chat help again. I had no wait at all and she fixed the problem for me! And I bet it was the easiest question she has all day! (It was so stupid I won't even share it with you!) And speaking of eBay, I only need 2 more positive feedbacks to get my shiny blue star! YAY!
I just came across this article from last week's Montclair Times about all the empty stores in Montclair. I just don't understand what people are thinking. But I'm glad they used my quote in the article. At the studio tour I saw a lot of people who remembered me from the store. Many times that day I heard how much people miss my shop. It was everyone's loss, I'll keep saying it. I guess the developers with the money win. Too bad.
Today I have a lot of boxes to bring to the post office. I'm really glad that I pay for the postage and print the labels online so I don't have to deal with the lines at the post office today since tax returns are due tomorrow!
We're back from the camping trip! It was so much fun and I'm so glad I went! The kids were awesome and I got to know a lot of the kids, parents, and teachers I never knew before. It rained and it was cold and kept getting colder but we got through all our activities and had tons of fun. The parents even did a great skit during the campfire the last night and I think it was a big hit. We basically acted like the counselors and kids going through the activities. They laughed a lot and it was fun even though we didn't have very much time to pull it together. Abby took that picture of me last night at the Vintage Alley show reception. We were both running on empty, though, and I still had homework for class today so we didn't stay to the end. I like the way my work looked and now I'm really getting excited about the studio tour. The first picture is Abby at The Ridge on our hike yesterday, the second is bleary eyed me at the Colonial Cooking class, and the last picture is last night at the reception. Now I have to get ready to go to class!
The show at Vintage Alley is this Friday and Saturday. For me the setup is complicated by the fact that I'm going on the 4th grade camping trip as a chaperone and we don't get back until Friday at 2:30. That is going to be one hectic afternoon! But the reception doesn't start until 7 so I'm trying to get organized enough before we leave so I can setup efficiently that afternoon. Oh, and my last paper for massage class is due Saturday and I haven't even started it yet. Um, I better have a really good time on this camping trip!
The bad news is that I didn't get into the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn in June. The good news is that I fit into my spring clothes from last year and won't need to go shopping. How's that for looking on the bright side?
When April 1st lands on a school day I always pull a joke on my daughter by putting something into her lunchbox. One year I wound up chattering teeth and placed them underneath some food so when she moved it they started chattering. Another year I blew up water balloons with helium and put them in with confetti, noisemakers, and miniature hats so there was a party in her lunchbox. This year it's Sunday so I have nothing planned. I better be on my toes, though, in case she's planning on getting me back!
Someone mentioned this article in NJ Monthly to me last night. It's about the best downtowns in NJ and I'm mentioned, and misspelled, as well as the Soda Pop Shop, also misnamed, as being casualties of the high rent increases. You have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page for the part about Montclair.
The Favorite Doll Tea on Sunday went very nicely! The women were all very nice and the girls seemed to have a great time. There was only one other vendor besides us, a jeweler. It was nicely set up and we met my expectations. Abby was awesome and helped me a lot. It was a nice day all around. Abby took these pictures before the tea began.
My sister is asking people to skip a few lattes and donate to the Light of Islam "Turn on the Light" campaign. I think that's reasonable! I can't wait to read the first newsletter!
This morning is my practical exam in my class Massage Theory and Practice. I have to give the professor a massage! Just a little pressure there. I've been practicing, though, and feel fairly confident in myself. The routine we learned starts to come naturally after you've practiced enough. I'm bringing a tub of Crisco as a joke. I need to go put on my press-on nails now. I hope he thinks it's funny...
This morning there is a nagging question stuck in my head that I just can't answer for all my efforts. Why did The Departed win Best Picture?????? Ugh! I hope Marie Antoinette won't be as disappointing.
I got an email this morning asking if I would participate in a Women's Club of Glen Ridge fundraiser on Sunday. It is a Favorite Doll Tea and I will sell merchandise from Copabananas there. A portion of the profits benefits their charity efforts. I'm excited to be a part of the "boutique". I may even bring along some gLove Story Dolls.
Now that I finally finished reading Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events I have moved on to more grown-up reading. I started Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund which is about Marie Antoinette, told from her point of view. I love historical fiction and was looking forward to reading it. I think I'll make quick work of it but I wish I could stop thinking about the action figure.
