It's Been Awhile

Where has the time gone! I've neglected my blog again...last blog post was 9/18! So again, I have come here without a plan, and shall just ramble (as usual) and maybe something will pop into my head! Wait...there's something there-oh, never mind, it was a donut.

Since I mix it up in my blog with personal stories, inspirational stories, and information about my shops http://www.jenscloset.etsy.com/ and http://www.mymilkglassshop.etsy.com/ (you know I had to do that), I think I'll write about my Etsy shops.

As some of you may know, I started my first shop in April of 2008. At over 900 sales now, I feel pretty good about the way things are going! I have 229 sales, so far, in my milk glass shop also!

So I think I'll talk about the things I've learned so far, the trials and tribulations, the good, the bad...and the ugly! Actually, there really hasn't been too much bad and ugly!

Let's start with shipping! I would have to say that has been the toughest challenge. Most of the items I ship are fragile and usually pretty heavy. I have my official USPS scale to weigh my items. What I do when I'm listing an item is to put a box on the scale with some bubble wrap (that gives me more of a realistic idea of the weight when the item is actually being shipped), and then put the item on top of that. I will still add a little weight to that and check my handy-dandy postal sheet that shows me the cost for priority mail for all zones. Let's say the item weighs 2.5 lbs, I will usually use the 3 lbs information and go with the farthest zone, zone 8, which would be $11.95.

This really shouldn't be a new paragraph because I'm still talking about shipping, but I've read that people become disinterested if you write too much in one paragraph!

Okay-so back to shipping! I would say in my first year, I messed up quite a bit on shipping, and lost some money since I didn't charge enough! This year is going so much better (okay, so I'm a slow learner!). What I do now is refund the buyer if shipping costs are less than my quote, but I do add a small fee for packing material, since I usually use a ton of bubble wrap! Shipping to Zone 1 or 2 is obviously going to be quite a bit less than zone 8 (e.g. 3 lbs for zone 1 and 2 is $5.50 and zone is is $11.95!).

I know I've blogged about shipping before, I think because it has been the biggest hurdle. Of course, my most favorite part of having my Etsy shops (if you haven't check out Etsy, you must.. http://www.etsy.com/ there is so much talent there!) is shopping! I now have an excuse to shop for all the pretty things I love and pass them on to others!

I also love wrapping everything I ship out so the buyer feels like they're receiving a gift!

I think in my next blog I'll talk about the listing process (that's right, there is no sequence to my blogs!). So stay tuned, I promise not to be gone so long next time!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jen

Think Outside the Box

You've heard that before, right? "Think outside the box". Do you know what it means? It means, do not settle for second best! It means you've gone this far, but it's not far enough. Keep going, keep thinking, keep working, keep motivated!

I've mentioned twitter at least a few times on my blog. The non-twitter people just don't get it, but the twitter people, well, they know...twitter is great!

For example...while on twitter several weeks ago, an event planner http://www.eventjubilee.com/ sent me a tweet asking if I would be willing to send some of my vintage china to her for a bridal photo shoot, which will most likely be featured in at least a few bridal magazines in Connecticut! I didn't think twice! I thought outside the box! I love both of my vintage shops and they're doing quite well, but I know there are more opportunities out there!

What prompted this post is another opportunity that I found out about tonight! All I can say is I'm shipping out a pair of milk glass candlesticks to New York City (love NYC!!).

So don't settle-never settle-think outside the box! Live the best darn life you can. The way I see it is, what do you have to loose? Do you want to be 80 years old thinking, "why didn't I do this-or that"? Go for it!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Jen

Give Up

Okay, I'm using reverse psychology! I'm sure you get tired of all those motivational stories-or you think, oh heck, I cannot do that! So don't! Don't do it!

While I was at bosu class today (google it-it means both sides up-and it's a fun aerobic workout), I started to think about when I first started that class, and for at least 4-6 months, I was just a klutz! But I stuck with it! Who cares if anyone else thought I was a klutz! I've gotten to a point in my life where I am finally not worrying about what others thing.

And this really isn't about bosu. It's about staying with something. It's about making yourself proud; not anyone else. You have to live with yourself, why not live with a person you are proud of!

I looked at the new kids in class and remembered not long ago, that was me! I tried to encourage them, without scaring them away more! I wanted to tell them it gets better-you get tougher-and the more you do-the more you get back! But there's not enough time.

So, thus--this blog! If I can motivate one person to do what they keep saying they should do-want to do-could do--just DO IT!

Do it-you can! Think about the worst thing that will happen to you if you "fail"...you will not "fail"...because you tried!

I'm proud of what I've done-and if I can do it..seriously, anyone can!!

Do it!!

Jen

What Shall I Blog About!?

It's just been so long since I blogged! The last time I blogged was soon after we got home from our annual vacation to Cocoa Beach, Florida!

So I don't really have any idea what I'm going to blog about. I'll just start rambling (like I usually do) and something will pop into this little brain of mine.

Oh, for one thing, I have blog envy! I see other cute blogs, for instance, just little things like a cute red square around their pictures, and they have blogspot! How do I do that!?

I want to make my blog more eye-catching! If it's eye-catching, then I'm guessing you'll be more tempted to read what I have to say-and even if what I say is rather dull, well...at least you'll have something cute to look at!

I still want to promote other Etsy shops-and really, it doesn't just have to be Etsy shops..if you have a website you'd like to promote, just leave a comment! I would especially like to hear from my near and dear friends...my twitter friends! You guys have some awesome talent out there! I've tried my hand at a few things, like sewing, crocheting, knitting...oh and even needlepoint (my Mom had a needlepoint shop called the "Nasty Needles" when I was growing up, isn't that cute! But anyways---I was always only poor to fair with any of that, so I just followed my passion for antiques and thus (plug coming) opened my shop http://www.jenscloset.etsy.com/ and then http://www.mymilkglassshop.etsy.com/ (oh come one, isn't that part of the point of a blog!).

So that's my quick ramble-I could go on and on, can you tell I love to talk!? Just wanted to say hi and...oh, I know...I should do another blog soon about packing my orders, okay...that will come soon!

Take care everyone! Keep your chin up-shoulders back (my Mom would always tell me that) good posture will really make you look better and feel more confident!

Jen