Wednesday, December 31, 2014

UPDATE: Fortune Fish for Carnival Theme Wedding: The Destiny of Things, Story #266

UPDATE:  Fortune Fish for Carnival Theme Wedding:  The Destiny of Things, Story #266

So inspiring to be remembered five months later!

photo via VintageToGoEasy 
Fortune Fish available here

An Etsy buyer bought these in July and sent me an update story with photo a couple of days ago!  Such a nice surprise in my email!

Hi, just wanted to say thank you again for my purchase, and I thought that you might like to see how I used them in my wedding. We had a vintage carnival themed wedding, so the fortune fish were just perfect to put with our favors, and everyone absolutely loved them! I have attached an image for you :) Also the little envelope full of treasures that came with them was brilliant!! was super neat opening it, what an awesome touch.
  
I never thought this item would be so popular as wedding favors, but I can imagine how fun and entertaining it would be for each guest, young or old!  And even more fun at a vintage carnival themed wedding!

Here's the photo I received!  So fun!

photo via kind Etsy buyer
Fortune Fish available here

How cool is that place setting!  Such visual fun!  I love the vinyl record place mat and caramel popcorn to snack on while waiting... and it looks like there are more fun surprises in the goodie bag!  

Another Etsy buyer let me know they were a hit at their wedding too, especially while guests were waiting to be served their food.  

I hope others get some good ideas from all those who have shared past and present. 

Saying Goodbye:  I am always happy to hear good news and am beyond surprised at how popular one of my favorite childhood fortune penny toys has become again.  It has become a staple at our Etsy shops.

What I Learned:

1.  Maybe it is possible to turn hoarding into a business.  It is an idea I toyed with when I first started my Hoarder Rehab from an Etsy blog article I had read that may have planted a seed, but right now I am only half way through my hoard and would rather see that to the end.

2.  As a recovering hoarder, it is very inspiring for me to receive stories and photos of how things are being used because as a recovering hoarder, I am obviously very attached and sentimental to things and hearing and seeing them outside of myself helps restructure my attachment and sentiment in a new way.

3.  I've learned a lot about myself and my hoarding habits this year and I am much more hopeful than when I started this journey two years ago.  My insights about my hoarding ways and how to improve them are strewn about on this blog and my journey has been a backward and forward roller coaster ride, but it is progress and not perfection that I will continue to focus on.

photo via VintageToGoEasy 
Fortune Fish available here

Thank you Etsy buyer for sending me an update and photo and especially for letting me know that the envelope of treasures was something fun for you to open because lately I've been discouraged with complaints about them.  Your "thank you" came at a time when I really needed it.

Thanks to all Etsy buyers this year and last, who have shared your stories with me because without them my Hoarder Rehab would not have been grounded, nor as insightful for me.

Thank you Etsy for the opportunity to share my hoard and to learn so much about managing an online business.  I knew close to nothing about running a business and am quite techless, however I am still working on becoming more techful.

Thank you readers from all over the world for your visits.  Positive support from just seeing a visit has been much appreciated. 

Related Stories:




4.  Fortune Fish:  The Destiny of Things, Story 238, other wedding themed ideas

"The end of the beginning" ---Winston Churchill, November 9, 1942

Happy New Year to you and yours this 2015!

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Christmas Stacking Crayons Replacement Story: The Destiny of Things, Story 265

Christmas Stacking Crayons Replacement Story:  The Destiny of Things, Story 265

I hadn't received a "replacement" story in quite awhile til the other day! So nice to see one!

 7 color stacking crayons, available here
photo via Hoarder Rehab


Here it is:

Hi. I read your thank you note. Our story :)
My daughter got this same exact crayon as a gift from her teacher for the holidays. She wanted to bring it to school so badly today and I told her no. She them told me that her friends all brought theirs in (she's in Kindergarten). So of course I went against my better judgement I let her take it. Well it fell while she was walking home from school and broke and she lost many pieces. She was upset. And she was worried I would be mad. I'm not of course but felt bad because I knew how much she loved this gift. So I searched for it online. And finally found it at your etsy store. Thank you!


I love that story!  Thank you to the Etsy buyer who took the time to send it to me.  Perfect timing too, just as I was getting bogged down in the hustle and bustle of the holidays.  This note of kindness lifted my heart and returned to me some happy holiday spirits!

As a retired teacher, I do know how my students loved stacking crayons and pencils and remember how fun it is to be with your friends using like things and how upsetting it can be when they get lost, so I always tried to keep some extras on hand. 

7 color stacking crayons, available here.
photo via Hoarder Rehab

Saying Goodbye:  I have my own set of these for coloring fun and originally bought them as an Advent Calendar surprise gifts since they unstack and fit nicely into the containers I was using and of course, I kept some extras in case, some little ones should lose theirs!

What I Learned:

1.  The winter holidays are the most stressful time of year for me and I'm doing much better than last year.  I am grateful for friends, the many insights I've gained from Etsy buyers sharing their stories with me and from those insights the experiments I've tried and new habits I've practiced to find other ways to cope with stress.

2.  I've learned so much these past two years about my myself and how it relates to my own Hoarder Rehab and have made progress in leaps and bounds, baby steps and even backwards steps.  Next year, I hope to be able to better compile my progress, changed habits, and write about what has helped me and what did not.

3.  It has taken more time than I thought to dehoard and find new ways to reach my Hoarder Rehab goals, but I have found some other creative alternatives to hoarding as a way to relieve stress by experimenting and it does feel good to find other ways to destress besides retail therapy hoarding!

I hope to start sharing these creative outlets on a regular basis for the 2015 New Year too!

Advent Calendar Starter Kits are available at JunkDrawerAndMore here
and The Destiny of Things here
 
Thank you Etsy and Etsy buyers for your continued support and inspiring stories that keep me going and that give me insight into my hoarding ways!
 
Thank you readers from all over the world for supporting my  HoarderRehab and The Destiny of Things with your visits!
 
Click on the shop names to visit hoard listed: HoarderRehab with 188 items, The Destiny of Things- 183 items , VintageToGoEasy - 186 items and now JunkDrawerAndMore - 126 items!  Maybe you'll find something to take home and share your story too!  Thanks for looking!  
 
 Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Related Stories:


 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Two Lost Spaghetti Head Poodles: The Destiny of Things, Story 264

Two Lost Spaghetti Head Poodles:  The Destiny of Things, Story 264

New lives and home found for two lost poodles!

photo via VintageToGoEasy
more vintage animal figurines, here and here

I received a note letting me know that someone is excited that these two lost poodles are going to find new lives with a poodle collector this Christmas!

Always happy to hear such good news!  I just love these two with their little spaghetti dos!

photo via VintageToGoEasy
more vintage animal figurines, here and here

Saying Goodbye: So happy these have found a new home with a poodle collector! How fun it is to get something to add to a collection!  It's taken countless times of saying "goodbye" to my hoard of items to make it less painless and begin a healing process that may never be over, but I do know now that the journey does get easier and better.

What I Learned:

1.  I've learned a lot about being an Etsy seller and running an online business these past two years and I've learned a lot about myself as a recovering hoarder also.  I would say that I'm about half way through my hoard and hope it doesn't take another two years to find new lives and homes for them all.  I think I might be ready to move on...... only time will tell.

2.  As a recovering hoarder, I've been thinking about major and minor activities and habits that have helped me change my hoarding ways and want to share them soon in hopes they might help others, especially for 2015.

 Adopt a dog here
photo via Hoarder Rehab

Thank you Etsy and Etsy buyers for your continued support and fun stories that keep me going and that give me insight into my hoarding ways!
Thank you readers from all over the world for supporting my  HoarderRehab and The Destiny of Things with your visits! 
  

I almost reached my goal to list at least 200 items from my hoard on each shop until December 1st!  I reached that goal at three shops!  So now I'm taking a breather and taking time to reflect over my Hoarder Rehab journey and thinking of some new Hoarder Rehab goals and strategies for 2015!



Click on the shop names to visit hoard listed: HoarderRehab with 201 items, The Destiny of Things- 191 items , VintageToGoEasy - 193 items and now JunkDrawerAndMore - 129 items!  Maybe you'll find something to take home and share your story too!  Thanks for looking!
 Two more lost dogs looking for a good home, available here 
photo via VintageToGoEasy

"It's never too late to be who I might have been."---anonymous

Monday, December 8, 2014

Christmas Fortune Teller Fish: The Destiny of Things: Story 264

Christmas Fortune Teller Fish:  The Destiny of Things: Story 264

I love it when things bring back old memories and also make new ones!

photo via Hoarder Rehab
Fortune Fish, available at The Destiny of Things, here in amounts of 10, 20 or 30
At Hoarder Rehab, in larger amounts of 50, 100 or 150 here

I received an email in October from the Netherlands that two office friends are sending these in their Christmas cards this December.  Recently, I received similar words in "note to buyer" saying:

Great find. A childhood favorite. Fits right in the ol' Christmas card. Thanks for having them

So reassuring, fun and nice to receive random acts of kindness!

Fortune Fish, available at The Destiny of Things, here in amounts of 10, 20 or 30
At Hoarder Rehab, in larger amounts of 50, 100 or 150 here

Lastly, I received a story from a Mum who's had her fortune fish since childhood and how her daughter loved to play with it too, but it finally stopped telling fortunes after all these years, so she was happy to find new ones.

How cool, is that?  I remember these from my childhood, but I didn't save a single one from that time.  I do still have many things from my childhood, like my box of worry dolls, favorite hopscotch throw bracelet, my lucky Zuni sungod pendant, and miniature collection.  Most of it have found new lives and homes, but some are still available here.

Fortune Fish, available at The Destiny of Things, here in amounts of 10, 20 or 30
At Hoarder Rehab, in larger amounts of 50, 100 or 150 here

Saying Goodbye:  I am so thankful that many others love these as much as I do!  And best of all, I love it when Etsy buyers let me know about it!

What I Learned:

1.  Many of my favorite things from childhood are becoming popular again!  I love it when things from the past bring back nostalgic memories for some while making new memories for others.  I've had several Etsy buyers tell me these were hit at their weddings, as table confetti while guests waited for their dinner to arrive.

I've had others tell me they use in making their surprise balls and others have used it as party decor.  They've told me it makes great party favors for all kinds of themed wedding and birthday parties from a Vintage Carnival themed wedding, Halloween favors, instead of candy to a bass birthday party!  So much fun1

Thank you Ety and Etsy buyers for your continued support and fun stories that keep me going and that give me insight into my hoarding ways!

Thank you readers from all over the world for supporting my  HoarderRehab and The Destiny of Things with your visits! 
  
My goal is to list at least 200 items from my hoard on each shop until December 1st!  I reached that goal at three shops!  So now I'm taking a breather and taking time to reflect over my Hoarder Rehab journey and perhaps think of some new Hoarder Rehab goals!

Click on the shop names to visit hoard listed on most days: HoarderRehab with 200 items, The Destiny of Things- 194 items , VintageToGoEasy - 196 items and now JunkDrawerAndMore - 128 items!  Maybe you'll find something to take home and share your story too!  Thanks for looking!

Fortune Fish, available at The Destiny of Things, here in amounts of 10, 20 or 30
At Hoarder Rehab, in larger amounts of 50, 100 or 150 here

Related Stories: 
1.  An Etsy buyer from NY sharing Fortune Fish with her college classmates as they study, Fortune Teller Miracle Fish by Cathryn Hankla:  The Destiny of Things, Story 152.  I also included some of my favorite passages, read it here 

2.  Fortune Teller Miracle Fish:  The Destiny of Things, Story LXXXII, here used as party favors!

3.  Miracle Fish Fortune Teller Surprise Balls:  The Destiny of Things, Story XCII, here

5.  UPDATE on A Little Girl and her Miracle Fish:  The Destiny of Things, Story #112, Part 2,here

6.  As Underwater theme decor, see update photos and story here

7.  Fortune Fish at a quilting bee where old memories made new ones! Read it here!

8.  Teachable Moments with  Fortune Fish Tellers:  The Destiny of Things, Story 180

9.  With an updated photo from an Etsy buyer using some of my items from the "Thank you" package, here 

10.  Fortune Fish:  The Destiny of Things, Story 238:  Various ways they've been used in themed parties.

Thank you for stopping by!

Monday, December 1, 2014

Authentic Vintage Bal a Versailles Perfume by Jean Desprez: The Destiny of Things, Story 263

Authentic Vintage Bal a Versailles Perfume by Jean Desprez:  The Destiny of Things, Story 263

How to tell if a vintage bottle of Bal of Versailles is authentic or not?

 photo via The Destiny of Things
The last of my perfume collection from childhood to college, here

Unfortunately,  I didn't collect miniature perfume for their scents, but for their bottles!  So I don't know much about perfumes, cologne, eau de toilette and their scents.  All I know is I fell in love with the mini sized bottles that looked exactly like the ones every female relative had on their vanity or left in the bathroom.

Do people still have vanity tables?  I would collect those too, but.....

However, since listing my childhood mini perfume samples I've learned more about perfume than I have ever wished to learn!  And this perfume is a good example of it!

In the beginning of listing my perfume collection, I was diligent about researching some aspects of them, like in the case with this bottle, it does not say if it's perfume, cologne or eau de toilette, so I spent hours on line trying to find out, but didn't find much.

However, I am techless and can spend hours researching something and then mr oz who is techful usually finds the information I'm looking for in less than five minutes! So go figure!

Usually when I'm researching an item, I find other information and it's most likely something that intrigues me.  For instance, this was Michael Jackson's favorite perfume and he kept his favorite perfume in his pocket.

 photo via The Destiny of Things
The last of my perfume collection from childhood to college, here

Anyways, if you want to know what I found interesting about this perfume, you can read about it here.  The Etsy buyer who ordered this perfume or cologne or eau de toilette because I never did find out after days of searching wrote me this:

Hi, last night I received the two minis of Bal a Versaille I ordered and here's a pic of them. Your bottle is on the right, unmarked with the name of the perfume house. It smells different from the other mini and the sample EdC I have. I've never seen a bottle, even a mini, that carries no identification of who made the perfume. Unless you can point me to a source that says Jean Desprez issued unmarked mini, I can only conclude this isn't authentic.

 photo via Etsy buyer
Now I can thank you, but at the time this photo sent me into a panic!

Like I've mentioned before, I didn't collect perfume for their scents, only for their bottles, so I don't know much about authenticity, except where I got my collection!

So when I got this email I first felt like I did something wrong and secondly, panicked because who likes bad feedback!  And lastly had no information on how to defend my little bottle of Bal a Versaille, except that I most likely had it from childhood and that most of my collection were direct sample bottles from Bullock's in California or gifts because everyone in my family helped me collect them! 

My Aunt's best friend's mother who worked at the cosmetic counter at Bullock's would save them for me in the cutest little Bullock's bags.  The bag would get passed on til I eventually got them or a couple of times my Mom or Aunt drive me there for a visit at the department store, so I could personally thank her.  And she would end up giving me more!  It was a dream come true for a little miniature collector!

Alas, all that information was already in the listing description!  So I went back to researching and found this as my own shred of information in my defense:

I have researched this perfume several times in the past to find out if this bottle held perfume, cologne or eau de toilette, but never found anything substantial and again this morning about it's authenticity I found this comment from this site on Aug. 31, 2010, www.basenotes.net/threads/257881-Bal-a-Versailles:

"BAV has been through many permutations and a truly confusing array of bottles. The license for it has changed hands quite a few times, probably more. Right now it's held by a small Florida marketing company. With each licensing, bottles and formulations have changed. Any "EDP" is certainly modern. The big round EDT bottles with the plastic lyre top are modern. It's utterly confusing. To be safe, if you want the vintage EDT, look for a rectangular bottle with a white shield-shaped label with gold trim, and white box with the same shield -- these were made in the 70's. Cologne the same, except the label and box can be blue. (For obvious reasons, all splash bottles should be full and unopened.) For vintage perfume, 1/4 oz size, make sure the top of the little round bottle is spherical, real metal (brass I believe) and the neck has several "crimps." Any other packaging types are more likely to hold modern reformulations.

But even if you get a modern reformulation, it's a damned sight better than a lot of the dreck that's out there now. Nevertheless, all Bal lovers owe it to themselves to track down the vintage. It's gorgeous, beyond lush. "

According to my email, this information is already over four years old and I had passed it on to the buyer about a year ago and had forgotten about this perfume I didn't hear back from the Etsy buyer until 5 days ago, in which she thanked me for the reply and wished me the best!  I am so relieved!  Thank you! and thank you for this story!

So in defense of this bottles authenticity, the bottle is rounded and the top of the bottle is metal with the crimps, however I don't know if this is the 1/4 oz size, like the article says, "utterly confusing!"

photo via The Destiny of Things
The last of my perfume collection from childhood to college, here
 
Saying Goodbye:   I stopped collecting mini perfumes when samples changed from looking like their counterparts in miniature and instead came in those little glass tubes with a plastic closure!  
 
I don't have many samples left, except the ones list here, however my Mom does have the other half of my perfume collection! 

I don't mind saying good bye to these at all because although I still love the little bottles, I am so allergic to perfume now, it's difficult to be near someone who is wearing any.

What I Learned:

1.  I need to develop thicker skin!  I need to realize that no matter how much I describe a listing not everyone is going to be happy with their order!  I need to realize that bad feedback is just a part of life, even if I never give bad feedback!  
 
Yes, I do not give bad feedback, but I've never had a problem with ordering things online until this year.  And I only responded to one of them because what the photo showed was different than what I received.

I believe that everyone has bad busy days and despite this they still do their best.

2.  The year is almost over and I'm starting to check and revisit old goals, so I can dream up the next ones for the New Year.

Any suggestions on how to research online faster and more effectively?  Of course, I took a few minutes to research this perfume's authenticity again, but all I found was this interesting review on it's fragrance.  Makes me want to try it!

The only real way to know if BAV is authentic is with a rectangular bottle with matching box?
photo via Google images
 
Random review I found researching, which reminds me of my Louis Vuitton story:
 
The first time I met Bal a Versailles I was 16. On my way through Nordstroms I saw it sitting on the perfume counter, in the middle of the shiny modern 80's bottles, looking very out of place. I'd never even heard of BaV before but I rather recklessly spritzed it on both wrists (hey, I was young, lol).

The next 20 minutes were miserable. BaV was completely out of left field. I wanted to wash it off! But then something changed and it became quietly perfect. At the end of the day it was so warm and delicious and that I knew I had to try it again.

Every time I wear this fragrance, I am still uneasy for the first 20 minutes. During that time I am 90% certain that I've made a mistake. But after that, it is simply one of the best fragrances that humanity has ever managed to formulate. It is warm and deep and delicious and sensual.

I've read that there are over 300 different ingredients in this masterpiece. I can't smell them all, but I always feel like I'm wearing a work of art when I put it on.

It's not a fragrance for everyone. It's a fragrance that lasts, but it doesn't zing across the room like some perfumes do. It has very rounded, full, soft edges.

This is not a fragrance for a girl. This is a fragrance for a woman.

If you're tired of the soapy, piercing, headache-inducing "clean clean clean" laundry perfumes, if you'd rather smell like a goddess than a lollipop, if you'd like to make people nervous at church, give Bal a Versailles a try. :)

25 February, 2014

I love that part that says, "if you'd like to make people nervous at church!"  All that in a fragrance?  SOLD!  If I weren't highly allergic to perfumes, I'd be tempted to try Bal a Versaille!

I kept my perfume collection in the box above and brass glass
display boxes from Mexico.  Remember those?  I loved the doors and the hinged clasp closures.

Related Stories:

1.  The above Bal a Versailles perfume review reminds me of how I started collecting Louis Vuitton, read about it,  here


"As a recovering hoarder, I do believe that some scents do bring back stronger memories, but for me most of my things unlock a secret."