A Tanuki Themed Christmas Tree: The Destiny of Things, Story 530

A Tanuki Themed Christmas Tree:  The Destiny of Things, Story 530

Tankukis!  Just in time for Christmas!  BEFORE:

Guess who bought out all my tanukis?  More Japanese souvenir and Asian items, here.

photo via Hoarder Rehab

I just love Japanese omiyage (souvenir gifts) and had a hoard of these because?  because I don't even know why now, but since a sister bought them all in August to cheer up her sister who was struggling with a recent incident and then give the rest for her Christmas tree!  How sweet!

I am so thankful they found their way to a temporary home and are now have been place at their forever home! All the tanuki's are all together and are now happily displayed Christmas spirit style!

Here is the note I received:

Hi Kennedy,

Hope your holidays are going well.

Here is my sisters tree. She plans to add to it but has been keeping busy with craft fairs. She loved your tanukis as they were the only real tanukis.

Thanks again

AFTER:

photo via Etsy buyer

I love her tanuki themed Christmas tree!  It's giving me ideas and inspiration for next Christmas!  Our family tree is usually decorated with handmade ornaments from our childhood and gifted ornaments.  Every year we'd handmade ornaments for all my dad's customers, family and friends.  We have handmade ornaments from the 60s!  That's 50 handmade ornaments spreading over 5 decades!  

What was your most favorite themed Christmas tree?  My family never had a themed Christmas or Christmas tree, but I'd love to hear about yours.

Saying Goodbye:  I felt joy letting these go, I think there were at least ten.  In the beginning, I used to feel so much pain letting things go, but that rarely happens now.  Also, I think I see a hoard pattern emerging.... I tend to buy things thinking I'm going to make something with them and then overtime I forget about it!  I used to think I wanted to be a repetition artist, which probably isn't a good idea for a recovering hoarder with a poor memory!

The tanuki's have all sold out.  More Japanese souvenir and Asian items, here.

photo via Hoarder Rehab

What I Learned:

1.  As a recovering hoarder, I am so thankful I no longer feel anxiety and pain when something dear to me finds a new home, which in the beginning was just about everything!  It took several years of feeling the anxiety over and over until finally it was gone or at least less.  Now I know I can live through it more peacefully and bring joy to others.  I'll have to think on that, I don't feel as though I've explained it correctly.

2.  I am not alone, the other day on Etsy forums I found this discussion,  Ever Regret Selling Something? and felt comfort knowing I am not alone.  Although my regret has never been over selling something too low of price, mine was more of a pain that was equal to having a limb cut off, which sounds ridiculous now, but years ago it felt real!  And the anxiety of packaging the item, saying good bye to it and sending it off.

3.  Now I'm happy if one of my pieces of hoard finds a new life and home with someone else!  I thought I'd never see that happen!

4.  It seems I am better at collecting art supplies, rather than using them!  I really need to do something about that, but I'm not sure what.  Maybe I'll just start selling all my supplies and do something with the ones that don't sell?  Any suggestions out there?

The tanuki's have all sold out.  More Japanese souvenir and Asian items, here.
photo via Hoarder Rehab

Here is my hoarder history and story of tanuki that we heard from our elders as children:

HOARDER HISTORY: I grew up with this Japanese Folk Tale of little tanuki or Bunbuku Chagama, which my Grandmother told me was good luck for "endless happiness bubbling over like water in a teapot" and told stories of his shape shifting ways to reward those that were kind. Bunbuku Chagama literally translates to magic iron tea kettle

Bunbuku Chagama is an old folk story, dating back to Japan from the 1800s, in short form from wiki:

The story tells of a poor man who finds a tanuki caught in a trap. Feeling sorry for the animal, he sets it free. That night, the tanuki comes to the poor man's house to thank him for his kindness. The tanuki transforms itself into a chagama (tea kettle) and tells the man to sell him for money.

The man sells the tanuki-teapot to a monk, who takes it home and, after scrubbing it harshly, sets it over the fire to boil water. Unable to stand the heat, the tanuki teapot sprouts legs and, in its half-transformed state, makes a run for it.

The tanuki returns to the poor man with another idea. The man would set up a circus-like roadside attraction and charge admission for people to see a teapot walking a tightrope. The plan works, and each gains something good from the other—the man is no longer poor and the tanuki has a new friend and home.

In a variant of the story, the tanuki-teapot does not run and returns to its transformed state. The shocked monk decides to leave the teapot as an offering to the poor temple where he lives, choosing not to use it for making tea again. The temple eventually becomes famous for its supposed dancing teapot.

These were new old stock vintage and came in their original box.  We have some other Japanese souvenirs that are new old stock vintage and Asian items, here.

photo via Hoarder Rehab

Thank you Etsy buyer for remembering from August to send me a photo update!  What a nice Christmas Etsy buyer surprise!  I am thankful to have a small part in someone's cheerful act of kindness!  What a great memory!  I'm not sure if I'd remember to send an update photo from August.  

I'm still hoarding and buying supplies for creating, but this time I'm writing them down!  Now I just need to find the time to make my ideas come to life!  We are having a Christmas clearance sale for the next three weeks at JunkDrawerAndMore and The Destiny of Things to celebrate me changing almost all the items to free shipping and then I'll start adding my new hoard.

I'm still waiting for an inner answer on what to do with my purge pile.  I'm going to let it sit there until I have a definitive unwavering answer one way or another.  All the little baby steps I started at the beginning of this year are paying off now and have accumulated to a daily hour or two on my physical and spiritual well being in the form of different kinds of yoga and mediation.  I am so thankful!

Everyday is such an adventure dehoarding on Etsy!   I never know who I'll meet and I have met so many Etsy buyers who share their stories with me and every time I glean some insight about where my dehoarding journey is taking me.

Thank you Etsy for the best Hoarder Rehab ever!  And for all the kind people I'm meeting who are helping me indirectly and directly in so many ways with my Hoarder Rehab!

Know anyone opening a new shop this New Year 2019?  Here is a new old stock vintage Japanese lucky cat manek neko banner to bring good luck and prosperity to the owner, available here.

photo via Hoarder Rehab

I am relaxing this winter holiday, so I'm not doing much on Etsy this time of year and it feels good!  Christmas sales are not as good as last year and the old me would be very worried about it, but I just remind myself of retail cycles and just welcome every sale we do get.  I'm thankful for my new mind set.

I've let go of the Etsy fee changes that were bothering me by figuring out new prices by changing most listings to free shipping.  I've been working hard to change my thinking lately and all my new thinking towards Etsy sales and life in general and I feel as though it's starting to work!

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily and/or weekly: HoarderRehab with 177 items, The Destiny of Things- 174 items, VintageToGoEasy - 175 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 175 items.   

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  Thanks for looking!

Last year's fiesta themed Christmas tree with loteria cards from an Etsy buyer.  52 loteria cards to turn into Christmas tree ornaments, available here.

photo via The Destiny of Thngs

Merry Christmas to you and yours!  Thank you for visiting my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!  Thank you for stopping by!

Christmas Cards Library Date Stamp Style: The Destiny of Things, Story 529

Christmas Cards Library Date Stamp Style:  The Destiny of Things, Story 529

So many creative Etsy buyers who use this date stamp in so differently!  BEFORE:

NEW 2019 library date stamp 2019 - 2026 mechanical rubber date stamp teacher classroom scrapbook craft stationery journal birthday invites, available here.  Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

This is one of our most popular items and as a third grade teacher one of my most loved classroom tools, not just for me as a teacher, but my students as well, but now that I'm retired, I'm not the only one who uses it for art and other creative adventures!

AFTER:

So creative and fun!  I'd love to make some and receive some!

photo via Etsy buyer from JunkDrawerAndMore

Here is the message I received from another inspiring and talented Ety buyer:

Fast shipping and loved the extra bag of goodies that came in the package! I used the date stamp to make library-themed Christmas cards for my bookworm coworkers.

Saying Goodbye:  Now if you are like me and end up not sending Christmas cards for whatever reasons, you can send either "Thank You" or "Thinking of You" cards that includes a New Year's greetings or just "Thinking of You" cards, if it's after New Year's.  I'd use the song, Auld Lang Syne  by Robert Burns.

I'd use the rest of the lines on the library card to thank them for holiday gifts and send personal messages, like wishes and affirmations for the New Year.

NEW 2019 library date stamp 2019 - 2026 mechanical rubber date stamp teacher classroom scrapbook craft stationery journal birthday invites, available here.  Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

What I Learned:

1.  Have I been MIA for that long?  Time sure does fly at the end of the year!  I've been using all my blog time changing stuff on my Etsy shops, however Etsy buyer stories are piling up again, so it's going to be one of my New Year's Resolutions to blog more often and set up a better balanced schedule and start making a list of the stories as they arrive!

2.  I usually get the winter holiday blues so terribly that I call them, "the dreads," but this year it's not as bad and I'm surviving quite well, despite my usual retail therapy being a lot worse than last year.  Retail therapy seems a small price to pay for feeling more centered this time of year, which means you'l be seeing new and different items listed in the shops this coming 2019!

3.  I've been busy changing all our shop items to free shipping, which is a little tricky, if and when you want to have a sale and anticipating USPS shipping fees rising, but it seems worthwhile since Etsy added all the new fees and "live" accounting that many items needed to be bumped up, so we make a little profit to keep on trucking!

4.  Many of our best sellers and other items are labours of love, but being in the hole is no fun for anyone, so let's see what kind of abundance 2019 brings for us all!

5.  I have many New Year's Resolutions this coming 2019 and I'll think I'll be writing them down in January, rather than my usual March.

How are your New Year's Resolutions coming along and do you write them down?  I write them all down and next to each one write when I think it will be accomplished or become a new habit.  

For instance, next year I'd like to send out library themed Christmas cards, which for me I'd have to start after Halloween, so I can take baby steps to get them all done.  If I wait last minute, I usually end up buying all the supplies and then giving up, but I can remind myself that the date stamp has 2020 on it, so I could send out New Year cards and ask everyone about their resolutions!

Something like this for Christmas and if I miss Christmas, I can change the title to New Year's Resolution card and add their name as the author and they can use the lines for their New Year's Resolutions or at least start a book list of favorite reads for the New Year!

photo via Bustle

Thank you Etsy buyer for sharing your exciting creative idea!  It has so inspired me and turned into many more ideas!  I'm already looking forward to next year's Christmas and usually that's impossible for me due to the dreads I usually have at this time of year!  Thank you so much!

I've been hoarding again, but like I said, I think it's a small price to pay to have the Christmas spirit, rather than the Christmas humbugs battling in my head!  Plus I'm tired of seeing the same old hoard in my shops, so I think we'll be having a clearance sale to celebrate me changing almost all the items to free shipping and then I'll add my new hoard.

I'm still waiting for an inner answer on what to do with my purge pile.  I'm going to let it sit there until I have a definitive unwavering answer one way or another.  All the little baby steps I started at the beginning of this year are paying off now and have accumulated to a daily hour or two on my physical and spiritual well being in the form of different kinds of yoga and mediation.  I am so thankful!

Everyday is such an adventure dehoarding on Etsy!   I never know who I'll meet and I have met so many Etsy buyers who share their stories with me and every time I glean some insight about where my dehoarding journey is taking me.

Thank you Etsy for the best Hoarder Rehab ever!  And for all the kind people I'm meeting who are helping me indirectly and directly in so many ways with my Hoarder Rehab!

Here's a cute example for Christmas gift "thank you" cards.

photo via google

I did at one time have 180 items listed at all 4 shops, but that was between the last blog posting and this one and although 180 items, seems to be the magic number or silver bullet for all our shops to maintain and keep sales up.  I feel differently now with the new Etsy fees and "live" accounting, I don't feel as carefree and I feel, as though I should be more discriminating on which hoard I list.  We'll see how the free shipping and clearance sale goes.  

Christmas sales were really down this year, but according to Etsy's "your year in review" we have made more sales than last year and have earned about the same, if not more at some shops, so hopefully it evens out.  I'm thankful for that.

I am still waking up at 3 am because I feel better and get most of my health routines, reading and my fun creative stuff in by 8 am and then do hoard organization, home and financial maintenance and then by 11 am I am ready to do Etsy stuff.

I've let go of the Etsy fee changes that were bothering me by figuring out new prices by changing most listings to free shipping.  I've been working hard to change my thinking lately and this is my new thinking towards Etsy sales and life in general, "I am willing to forgo all perceptions of gain, desire or profit and thereby be willing to be of selfless service to life in all it's expressions."  Still easier said then done, especially "selfless service" because I do think it's best to break even, rather than in the red, but everyday I'm taking baby steps and practicing it.

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily and/or weekly: HoarderRehab with 178 items, The Destiny of Things- 172 items, VintageToGoEasy - 177 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 175 items.   

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  Thanks for looking!

This chronicle of a courtship is inspiring me to chronicle my own milestones for 2019!

photo via google

It feels so good to be blogging again!  I didn't think that would happen.  I hope to blog again before Christmas, but if not Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Thank you for visiting my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!  Thank you for stopping by!

Halloween Gypsy Den & Madame X Fortune Cards: The Destiny of Things, Story 528

Halloween Gypsy Den & Madame X Fortune Cards:  The Destiny of Things, Story 528

How much fun does this sound!

She ordered our last 50 random mix set of Twilight Zone Swami or Madame X machine cards.  Our supplier no longer carries them and we have not been able to find another.  We only have them in complete sets of 52, which means they have been sorted and collated and you get one of each type to make a complete set of 52, available here.  Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

Here is the email I received:

I am super excited. I am going to turn my cube at work into a gypsy den for Halloween and make one of those fortune teller machines with a box and half a mannequin.

Today I sure wish I could be a fly on the wall and visit her work cubicle and visit this gypsy to see what my fortune will be.  Love to see her costume as well as her gypsy den!  Or is it the mannequin telling the fortunes?  Hmmm... either way, it would be so fun to see and experience.  I think getting a fortune card is a great alternative to candy!

Saying Goodbye:  I used to covet these fortunes because my brother and I used to eat at a cafe in Orange County that had a machine at every booth and he's the one that told me to watch Twilight Zone's Nick of Time with William Shatner!  He couldn't believe I didn't remember it, since we used to watch the Twilight Zone marathons all the time together.

What I Learned:

1.  I wanted to use these in my mixed media art, but never have.  Then I was going to keep a few complete sets for myself, but I am not.  So I think I'm doing much better as a recovering hoarder, since I don't have to save a sample of every little thing I'm trying to let go in hoard amounts! lol.

2.  One of the problems I have with these fortune cards is that they are two sided and on newsprint, so you can only use one side and as a recovering hoarder, I could never decide which side I like better and would have to use both sides, which means I'd have to keep at least two sets!  Yes, that's how my mind as a hoarder works!  And that's a small example!.

3.  I think my hoarding days are over, but sometimes that is easier said then done.  I will see what happens during my most stressful time of the year, the "dreaded" winter holidays.  Maybe this year I won't even dread them because I am actually looking forward to the challenge and new experiences.

What dreaded experiences have you overcome?  I am going to turn my dreaded winter holidays into something more pleasant this year!

Here is what a complete set of 52 fortune cards look like.  They are like a deck of cards with hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs with aces, kings, queens, jacks and the numbers 10 through 2 for each suit, available here.  Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

Thank you Etsy buyer for sharing your exciting creative story!  I hope you have a fabulous time at work celebrating Halloween today!

And check out her shop, AllyzAttic and find something old, something new-past and present finds!  Let's see my favorites are the wooden swallow bookends, here.  Good thing I'm not hoarding anymore because back in the day, I would have had a difficult time passing these up due to their price!  What a deal!  Oh my cute clothes too!  This shop is a hoard trap!

I've given up on doing something with my purge pile.  I'm going to let it sit there until I have a definitive unwavering answer one way or another.  I'm going to focus on my physical and spiritual well being until something clicks.

Everyday is such an adventure dehoarding on Etsy!   I never know who I'll meet and I have met so many Etsy buyers who share their stories with me and every time I glean some insight about where my dehoarding journey is taking me.

Thank you Etsy for the best Hoarder Rehab ever!  And for all the kind people I'm meeting who are helping me indirectly and directly in so many ways with my Hoarder Rehab!

Check out their Mystic Seer napkin dispenser fortune teller card box!  William Shatner's character is putting a penny in the machine to get his fortune. On the show, his fortune's come true.  It's called Nick of Time, Season 2, Episode 43. Watch it on youtube. More info. on wiki with spoilers.

I still want to list until each shop has 180 items, but now I mainly list on the weekends, due to finding so many interesting books to read.  I was waking up at 3 am because I feel better and get most of my health routines, reading and my fun creative stuff in by 8 am and then do hoard organization, home and financial maintenance and then by 11 am I am ready to do Etsy stuff.

Sales are still steady, but have picked up again now that the Halloween rush is over.  Now for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's!  We ship out on Monday's, Wednesdays and Fridays, almost routinely, unless a holiday falls on one of those days and then we ship out at our next shipping date.  For example, if a holiday falls on a Monday, we will ship out the next coming Wednesday.

I've let go of the Etsy fee changes that were bothering me.  I've been working hard to change my thinking lately and this is my new thinking towards Etsy sales and life in general, "I am willing to forgo all perceptions of gain, desire or profit and thereby be willing to be of selfless service to life in all it's expressions."  Easier said then done, but everyday I'm taking baby steps and practicing it.

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily and/or weekly: HoarderRehab with 174 items, The Destiny of Things- 172 items, VintageToGoEasy - 177 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 171 items.   

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  Thanks for looking!

Here's a Mystic Seer box that an Etsy buyer's husband made last year for their Twilight Zone Halloween party.  You can see the fortune cards from our shop in the slot!

Happy Belated Halloween!  I wrote this posting and then forgot to publish it for Halloween!  I just remembered right now!

"Learning how to use, instead of being used by it."  I relate this quote to my hoard and it took me half a life time to learn how to use my hoard, instead of me being taken over by my own compulsion to hoard, so many years of hoarding unconsciously...  I am so thankful that is coming to an end!

Thank you for taking the time to visit my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things! 

Mini Mermaids for Wild Caribbean Poison Headdress Cocktail Hat: The Destiny of Things, Story 527

Mini Mermaids Wild Caribbean Poison Headdress Cocktail Hat:  The Destiny of Things, Story 527

Such an amazing imagination!  Nothing typical about this fish bowl headdress!  BEFORE:

We have 8 different colors of mini mermaids left in stock, which are usually used to hang  on your cocktail drink or to decorate your cupcakes, but this story and use is beyond the imaginable!  Available here, photo via VintageToGoEasy

Hold on to your hat, sit pretty with your cocktail poison of choice and put your feet up, while you read this fun email description of the incredible Caribbean Poison Headdress!  AFTER:

I intend to have this ready to wear to Latitude 29 in New Orleans--while looking up the reviews, i TOTALLY saw some drink photos with our mermaids on them!!!!! how terrifically fabulous is that!?

In any case, here is my description so far... let me know what you think ;)

Caribbean Poison - Fishbowl cocktail is resting in a bed of glittered coral accompanied by two kitsch crazy straws, a retro style swizzle stick, a sweet maraschino cherry pierced by an over sized cocktail umbrella and an ACTUAL Beachbum Berry tiki cocktail pick! All adorned with other fun items such as a tiny retro mermaid cocktail charm, colorful seashells, orange slices, and lots of multi-colored flora. Can’t find a local tiki bar? Problem solved!

The sky is the limit with what can be done with your fish bowl! Add water colored flowers, water/oil/petroleum jelly—depending on the weight/how much is used—with brightly colored fishing lures, blue or clear gelatin cubes with candy fish to be consumed later, a happy little mermaid, a terrarium, blue or clear crystals with your favorite aquarium accessories and/or lights/glow sticks, liquid bubbles with a bubble wand, or even a fun bubbly carbonated drink of your choice; the possibilities are endless!

Please note that the fish in this piece were temporarily used short term for the shoot and is from my personal aquarium; I do not suggest nor condone the mistreating of pets/animals.

What? what and what?  My imagination is running wild over here!  A fish bowl tiki cocktail headdress hat?  I've got to see this!!!!!  Please update us with photos!  And if you want to a little fix to calm your curiosity of such a proposed headdress, check out Jezebel Lobelia shop, JezebelsFascination and get blown away with her creativity, quality and uniqueness!  There is a fascinator, headdress, headpiece hats for everyone with playful themes in mind!

UPDATED PHOTOS may arrive in November!  I can't wait!  Sure wish I could be a fly on the wall in New Orleans for Latitude 29!

Beachbum Berry is reviving the tiki bar at Latitude 29 in New Orleans!

Check out in full detail, here.  Photo via Beachbum Berry Latitude 29

As for Latitude 29 Beachbum Berry's drinks, their cocktail menu spans the entire 80 year history of Tiki drinking, from the lost vintage recipe's that the Bum has unearthed.  Can you believe that?  I wonder what drink this is called, Pearl Diver?  It's one I found with a mini mermaid decoration!  Gotta have a historic drink in the historic French Quarters of Louisiana!

I'm guessing this is their Pearl Diver drink, which looks like plenty of giggle juice for more than one mermaid!  And it may give a clue to as to what Jezebel's fish bowl headdress may look like!

Photo via Beachbum Berry Latitude 29

Saying Goodbye:  I have a large collection of vintage cocktail mermaids and animals, like two shoe boxes worth and as of now, I'm not sure what to do with them.  I was saving them for my mixed media art, but at this point in time, I'm more interested in other things.  Any suggestions?

What I Learned:

1.  My hoarding ways have taken a turn for the better, except now, when I spend money, I feel guilty about it.  Very strange, it's like the table has totally turned in the complete opposite direction and now I can't spend a dime without feeling weird, almost guilty about it, like I should be holding on to my money for dear life!  I'll just go with the flow until my spending reaches a a feeling of balance and I can trust my spending decisions more and more.

2.  I've been spending my time reading and improving my health.  I had a tooth issue.  It healed itself with some help from me, like keeping my mouth super clean, gargling with thyme oil water, coconut oil pulling, following Dr. Schulze's tooth protocol, while adding my own tooth remedies here and there.  Basically an experiment that worked.  I also found a lot of home remedies for tooth ache that worked well too!

3.  I've also healed my sciatica.  Mainly with a lot of meditation, gentle yoga and pressure point massage.  I can now walk 1.7 miles without any pain!  Next I'm working on my adrenal fatigue, but I'll have to go off being a raw vegan to vegetarian for awhile, but I've been flip flopping about being a raw vegan and now the choice has been made for me, since my adrenals need a lot of protein to recover.   More on that later.

Anyone else out there working on their adrenal fatigue?  I'd love to hear what is working for you!

I've let go of all my cocktail glasses on Etsy, so here are the glasses I have left as an example of what they look like on champagne, kids cups and tumblers.

Available here, photo via VintageToGoEasy

Thank you Etsy buyer, Jezebel Lobelia for sharing your story!  I love it and your wild imaginative description of what you are going to do with the mermaids!  I'm thankful to be a tiny part of your fish bowl headdress and wish I could be a fly on the wall to see how everything goes at Latitude 20 when you have it on!

And check out her shop, JezebelsFascination and see her creativeness at work!  I am an introvert, so here's the one I'd wear here, but if I were an extrovert, I'd be wearing this one here.  It even lights up!  Actually if I were an extrovert, there are too many too choose from!  Looking forward to seeing the fish bowl headdress sometime this November!  Thank you Jezebel Lobelia!

I've given up on doing something with my purge pile.  I'm going to let it sit there until I have a definitive unwavering answer one way or another.  I'm going to focus on my physical and spiritual well being until something clicks.

Everyday is such an adventure dehoarding on Etsy!   I never know who I'll meet and I have met so many Etsy buyers who share their stories with me and every time I glean some insight about where my dehoarding journey is taking me.

Thank you Etsy for the best Hoarder Rehab ever!  And for all the kind people I'm meeting who are helping me indirectly and directly in so many ways with my Hoarder Rehab!

These look great arranged on a cake like above or a few on cupcakes or even just one, available here.  Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

I still want to list until each shop has 180 items, but now I mainly list on the weekends, due to reading so much.  I was waking up at 3 am and I feel so much better when I do, but now that my adrenal fatigue has kicked in, I need to sleep as much as possible.  I've had insomnia all my life and have tried so many remedies and have several more to try, but one of the adrenal fatigue solutions is to sleep whenever I'm tired, which is really hard to do because we were not allowed to nap.  More on that later.

Sales are still steady, but have slowed down this week due to everyone getting ready for Halloween.  It usually picks up right after Halloween as everyone gets ready for the next holiday, Thanksgiving.  We ship out on Monday's, Wednesdays and Fridays, almost routinely, unless a holiday falls on one of those days and then we ship out at our next shipping date.  For example, if a holiday falls on a Monday, we will ship out the next coming Wednesday.

I've let go of the Etsy fee changes that were bothering me.  I've been working hard to change my thinking lately and this is my new thinking towards Etsy sales and life in general, "I am willing to forgo all perceptions of gain, desire or profit and thereby be willing to be of selfless service to life in all it's expressions."  

For me, this is easier said than done, but I keep saying it.  I will need a lot practice and evaluate my old thought patterns that come up and let go of the ones that do not benefit me anymore, until this affirmation rings true for me.  The quote is from "Transcending Levels of Consciousness" by David Hawkins.

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily and/or weekly: HoarderRehab with 175 items, The Destiny of Things- 176 items, VintageToGoEasy - 177 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 170 items.   Wow!  I need to list more to reach my goal, I'll try and list an hour every Mon, Wed and Fri and see how that goes.

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  Thanks for looking!

Maybe someone out there can do something unique with these monkey cocktail or cake toppers, available here.  Photo via Hoarder Rehab

“When you stop living for luxuries, you understand the real meaning of life.” ― Abdul Sattar Edhi

Anyone out there, know where to find Abdul Sattar Edhi's autobiography, A Mirror to the Blind?  That's less than $100?  Thank you!

and Thank you for visiting my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things! 

Easy Fortune Teller Themed Halloween Treats: The Destiny of Things, Story 526

Easy Fortune Teller Themed Halloween Treats:  The Destiny of Things, Story 526

Inexpensive too!  Great alternative to passing out candy!  I package mine in glassine bags!

These are a complete set of 52 Swami and/or Madame X fortune teller cards from napkin dispenser's in vintage cafes.  Also can double up for Twilight Zone parties, since the Mystic Seer was part of the main feature in the episode, Nick of Time, starring William Shatner.  

Available here at The Destiny of Things.

Here is the note I received:

Oh that is great about the shipping! As for Halloween goodies, I try to find items other than candy. It will be fun to table these with a fortune telling theme. 
All the best!

Many Etsy buyers use these as table confetti, so maybe she is too!  These are more inclined towards ice breaker conversations because you are supposed to ask a "yes" or "no" questions and see how it the fortune card answers you.  Great to slip inside cocktail napkins and dinner napkins for a little conversational fun!

These fortune telling fish are a little more interactive, since they tell your mood for love by placing the fish in the palm of your hand and seeing how the fish moves and then matching the movement to what is says on the back of the Fortune Teller Fish envelope.  

SALE 50 or 100+ Magic Love Fortune Teller Fish vintage retro style fun cracker snap surprise ball filler wedding birthday, available here.  Photo via The Destiny of Things.

She also bought a game set of loteria cards.  It's a game of fortune and plays a lot like American bingo, but from Latin America.  Try your luck and see if you win!  It's easy to play and includes instructions on how to play!  Learn Spanish too!  Also, good for Day of the Dead parties!

The game board pieces can be cut up and made into cupcake toppers, just tape or glue on a toothpick!  The calling cards can be used as gift tags, floral centerpiece additions, table confetti, place cards, garlands, even art!  If you click on the link here, you'll see examples and get ideas.

Almost everything is included:  instructions on how to play, 10 game boards for 10 players, 52 calling cards and how to win, all you need are markers, which we use pinto beans, but we've also used pennies and if played at the beach, shells and pebbles.  In the classroom, we used scrap paper!

Available here, photo via The Destiny of Things.

Saying Goodbye:  I use the loteria game calling cards for my mixed media art, which is my alternative to hoarding.  I use the game boards to make boxes to hold the loteria art cards and also have them listed on my shop for Etsy buyers to use as larger centerpieces with prizes in side or party favor gift boxes.

One can use the box as a nicho or niche to add to your ofrenda or alter shrine.  The one above is Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera Love Story themed and available here.  Photo via The Destiny of Things.

The listing will have a brief story of Frida's life with Diego of love, betrayal, despair and healing.

What I've Learned:

1.  I've been MIA, missing in action, on the blog for awhile because I've been learning so much about myself, especially as a recovering hoarder!  For example, I've been learning to look inward, instead of outward and have found my life more peaceful, productive and joyful!

2.  Meditation has been a big tool to help change myself because it helps me to stay more centered and grounded and not be blown all over the place by outside circumstances.   It helps me to take responsibility for every aspect of my life and enjoy life's experiences more fully.

3.  Other tools that have been helpful are books.  I've been trying all kinds of diets to improve my physical health.  The Keto diet was tasty, but I didn't lose or gain weight, but I sure did gain more fat!  Now I'm reading Dr. Gundry's books and his pre biotics took away most of junk food cravings!  I do not crave organic chips, pop corn, fried chicken to name a few, like I used to.  The only craving I still have is french fries, but now I can pass them up and just say "no!"

4.  Also, my mind has improved from several books, but mainly from Brad Blanton's book, "Radical Honesty," which has really helped my communication skills and confidence.  I feel much more free now.  

These are the boxes for party favors or centerpiece surprises and are about 4 inches by 3 inches.  They are handmade by me, so sizes may vary a bit, available here.  They fit a lot of candy, enough for two people or other treats inside them.  Photo via The Destiny of Things.

5.  I'm still doing the daily lessons in "A Course in Miracles," which I started to read because of one of David Hawkins books, where I read that if I could get to lesson 175, negativity would be freed from my mind and it has really helped me to deal with life's experiences in a more healthy manner.

6.  My most favorite book of all is Sadhguru's book, "Inner Engineering:  A Yogi's Guide to Joy, " for some reason that book is really balancing out all areas of my life, like my physical health, mind, emotions and energies.

7.  Also my art has been selling more at the Etsy shops, so I've been doing more art lately too!  I don't have one bone in me that wants to hoard anymore!  Not even for art supplies!  However I do know my true test will be this coming winter holidays, which is usually the most difficult time for me.  "If you think you are enlightened, go visit your family!"  I forgot who said that, but it always makes me laugh!

What have you been up to lately?  I've also been doing more mindful yoga daily or taking walks in large open natural spaces, like parks, so I know I'm getting a stronger body too!

Here's William Shatner's character getting his fortune card, which we have listed from the Mystic Seer in Twilight Zone's, Nick of Time episode.

Thank you Etsy buyer from The Destiny of Things for sharing your story!  I love it!  I'm happy to feel like I'm part of your fortune telling themed Halloween and wish I could be a fly on the wall to see how everything goes!

My purge pile is still around, but growing!  I hope I can get the nerve to drop them off without going inside the thrift store and just be a lookie loo or even not go in at all!  I went to Ikea for some frames for my art that has been showing at our local coffee shop.  Ikeas could have been a hoard trap for me, but I got out there rather pleasantly.

Everyday is such an adventure dehoarding on Etsy!   I never know who I'll meet and I have met so many Etsy buyers who share their stories with me and every time I glean some insight about where my dehoarding journey is taking me.

Thank you Etsy for the best Hoarder Rehab ever!  And for all the kind people I'm meeting who are helping me indirectly and directly in so many ways with my Hoarder Rehab!

Here's a photo of the Mystic Seer machine and Etsy buyer's husband made for their Halloween party last year!

I still want to list until each shop has 180 items, but now I mainly list on the weekends, due to reading so much.  I've also been waking up at 3 am, so I can read and meditate more and waking up that early has also helped my insomnia.  Mediation also heals my sciatica when it flares up, which has been less and less.

Sales are still steady and usually one day a week, it peaks past 8 sales per shipping date.  We ship out on Monday's, Wednesdays and Fridays, almost routinely, unless a holiday falls on one of those days and then we ship out at our next shipping date.  For example, if a holiday falls on a Monday, we will ship out the next coming Wednesday.

I've let go of the Etsy fee changes that were bothering me.  I've been working hard to change my thinking lately and this is my new thinking towards Etsy sales and life in general, "I am willing to forgo all perceptions of gain, desire or profit and thereby be willing to be of selfless service to life in all it's expressions."  For me, this is easier said than done, but I keep saying it.  I will need a lot practice and evaluate my old thought patterns that come up and let go of the ones that do not benefit me anymore, until this affirmation rings true for me.  The quote is from "Transcending Levels of Consciousness" by David Hawkins.

Here's a photo of an original or refurbished Madame X napkin dispenser machine where you put your penny in and the fortune comes out of the slot.  The Swami machine has instructions on how to ask a question and example questions.

Etsy has been adding a lot of new features, but I haven't had the time or inclination to check them out yet.  One new Etsy feature I wanted to talk about was "notifications," which lets you know if a shop you favorited has listed new items.  

Many people have found this feature annoying because it kind of blends in with your email notifications and it's difficult to tell if it's a notification or an email you've received, so they have been unfavoriting shops, I would never have the heart to unfavorite a shop that I've favorited, so I just let my notifications build up to the max, which is 50 and when I get an email, it will turn to 51.  Problem solved for me!

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily and/or weekly: HoarderRehab with 176 items, The Destiny of Things- 177 items, VintageToGoEasy - 176 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 173 items.   Wow!  I need to list more to reach my goal, I'll try and list an hour every Mon, Wed and Fri and see how that goes.

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  Thanks for looking!

We won't be restocking the Swami Madame X fortune cards anymore, so get them while you can!

"What you accumulate can be yours, but can not be you!"  Sadhguru 

This quote means more to me than my hoard.  It also means all the knowledge I've accumulated, all the thoughts and patterns that have been ingrained and/or made into habits by me and more!  They are not me!

Thank you for visiting my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!  Thank you for stopping by!