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!

Bullet Art on NRA Rifle Targets: The Destiny of Things, Story 525

Bullet Art on NRA Rifle Targets: The Destiny of Things, Story 525

An artist sent a photo update!  This looks fun!  I want to try this!  BEFORE:

CHOOSE Official NRA Ranger or Winchester bulls eye Gun Rifle Shooting small vintage paper Typography Targets Halloween Westworld man cave wall decor birthday gift for him, available here

photo via VintageToGoEasy

Here is the note I received with a photo update:

Hi! I'm using the rifle targets I'm collecting for a series of
artworks called "American Daisies". I'm sending you an
image of one called "All American Daisy". They use bullets, targets and rhinestones, and have to do with the culture of guns in our history and in our current time.

So cool, I love how the art ties into our gun culture and history to now.  It's called "American Daisies"?  Interesting, I wonder if it has to do with the saying, "pushing up daisies?" lol.

AFTER:

photo via Anonymous Etsy buyer artist

Here is what I wrote back:

Hi!

Thank you for your inspiration, story and photo! I really love what you are doing, especially would like to hear more on how you are linking it to our history and current time.

Please let me know where you are showing your art and I will link it to my blog posting, with your permission.

Thanks again for all your inspiration,
Kennedy

PS. Sorry for the delay in response, the heat wave over knocked me out! Today it's finally cooler! 

Unfortunately, I wrote her back a month later due to a bad head cold procrastinating and then a heat wave that left me with insomnia!  Boo hoo on me for missing that window!  Because I would have loved to see the ones she made with the targets from our shop!

 This is about as far as I got using the targets with mixed media assemblage art!

CHOOSE Official NRA Ranger or Winchester bulls eye Gun Rifle Shooting small vintage paper Typography Targets Halloween Westworld man cave wall decor birthday gift for him, available here.  The mini guns, some are rifles are available at our other shop, here.

photo via VintageToGoEasy

Saying Goodbye:  For some reason, I inherited some guns and used to love guns and the shooting range.  I guess it's from my childhood growing up on a farm and shooting away birds with our Daisy pellet rifle.  I've since let them go because I didn't think they were attributing to my well being.   

Of course, as a hoarder, I saved all of the bullet casing and used targets, but I don't know if they are still in my hoard.  If they are, I'd like to try making some art too using them and the targets.

Some of the targets are double sided and one is not. 

CHOOSE Official NRA Ranger or Winchester bulls eye Gun Rifle Shooting small vintage paper Typography Targets Halloween Westworld man cave wall decor birthday gift for him, available here

photo via VintageToGoEasy

What I Learned:

1.  I got these smaller targets for my own art because most targets have a more solid background and these aren't.  I got as far as xeroxing them and that's it.  I was going to hand stamp stuff on them for Halloween.  I still have the idea in my head, but haven't done anything further.  I wonder why that is?

2.  I'm so thankful someone else is using them for art!  And maybe through her inspiration, I'll get more motivated!  Have you watched, "Exit through the Gift Shop"?  It's a documentary in a documentary, about someone who started his own documentary on street art and then went on to hire others to fulfill all his art ideas.  I think I need to hire others to create using my art ideas, lol until they aren't so hoarded up in my mind!

3.  So my art has been selling on Etsy and seems to be showing on a regular basis at our local coffee shop gallery, so I am excited about creating more art, but de hoarding does take up most of my free time.  So I need figure out my priorities and let some of them go and put myself on a schedule.

What kind of schedule or plan has worked for you?  I used to long term plan for 10, 5 and 1 year. Then break that down to a monthly plan, then weekly, then daily and hourly.  When I was really ill, it was just one thing a day, which sounds not very productive, but by the end of the month, I would get 30 things done.

The targets look nice framed, if you need a man cave or cowgirl cave gift. 

CHOOSE Official NRA Ranger or Winchester bulls eye Gun Rifle Shooting small vintage paper Typography Targets Halloween Westworld man cave wall decor birthday gift for him, available here

photo via VintageToGoEasy

Thank you Etsy buyer from VintageToGoEasy for sharing your story with a photo update!  I love it!  I'm thrilled, inspired and motivated to build on your idea and do my own thing with paper targets too!  Thank you for your time and creativeness!

I thought I could let go of my purge pile, but I've ended up listing more and purging less.  I think I'll have to drop off my purge pile when the thrift shop has closed because I started to make a mental list of stuff I wanted to find if I went thrifting!

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 is the front and back of the double sided targets.

CHOOSE Official NRA Ranger or Winchester bulls eye Gun Rifle Shooting small vintage paper Typography Targets Halloween Westworld man cave wall decor birthday gift for him, available here

photo via VintageToGoEasy

My new goal is to list 180 items per shop or 50 new items per month.   It has not been an easy thing for me to do and I hope I can keep up the pace of new listing 12-13 items per week!

Sales are mostly up due to the Labor Day sale.  We'll see what happens this 3 day weekend.  Our sale will end a week after Labor Day weekend, so either our sale ends either on September 9 or 10th. Some high end jewelry sold due to the sale, so I am very thankful!  but lately it's been little items selling.

I'm leaving the fee changes here because next blog post I want to figure out how much the increase is per dollar.  If someone already has it figured out and would share it, thank you!

 

I figured out the fee increase per dollar.  60 cents goes to fees for the first dollar and about 13 cents for every dollar after that, including shipping costs.  We used to put all of the fees in shipping, so our shipping fees where higher than most, but it didn't make sense to me to put all the Etsy fees into the price of the item, since they just took a percentage of those fees, but I guess now it doesn't matter where the fees go, since a percentage from both, the listing fee and the shipping costs, now go to Etsy.

YEAH!!! finally got the fee changes out of my system!

Transaction fee was 3.5%, but it's going up to 5% on July 16, 2018.

New shipping fee, all shipping fees get charged 5% on July 16, 2018.

Processing fee is staying the same, I think, which is 3% plus .25 cents per transaction

Listing fee is still the same of .20 cents for 4 months, or .05 cents per month.

We have joined the Etsy Labor Day Sale now, and it will end around September 9 or 10, 2018.

 

 Maybe someone out there would like to upcycle these or turn them into art.  They need the pin backs.  Gun and Service medal ribbon awards, available here

photo via VintageToGoEasy 

 

Also, Etsy has added some new features and I wanted to talk about "notifications," but have run out of time again, so hopefully I'll remember to write about it next time.

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily and/or weekly: HoarderRehab with 178 items, The Destiny of Things- 177 items, VintageToGoEasy - 178 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 176 items. 

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

 

 Mini gold assault weapons with at least one being a rifle, some as seen in the photo with the targets, available at our other shop, here.  Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

I hope you are as inspired as I am to create some art now!  I am going to do some textile art, loteria art, and or washi tape paper quilt art!  Thank you for visiting my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!  

 

 I have this dart board up with the rest of my art!  My art assemblage wall of art on art!  I guess I do love all kinds of  "targets."  Another insight into my hoarding ways!  

Have a great 3 day weekend, not laboring this Labor Day holiday!

Inspiration, Ideas & Uses for 2018 Library Date Stamp: The Destiny of Things, Stories 518-524

Inspiration, Ideas & Uses for 2018 Library Date Stamp:  The Destiny of Things, Stories 518-524

So many fun inspirational uses from Etsy buyers for such an inexpensive item!

2018 - 2026 NEW mechanical library date stamp supply, available here.
Most of the date stamps may go to the year 2028, but I don't check each one, so it's safe to say they'll at least go up to the year 2026.  That's a lot of years of stamping!

Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

Story 518:
Awesome product, love it so much. Using it in my reading log for the dates I read books.

If I was patient enough to keep a reading log, I'd use my date stamp for for it too.  Unfortunately, I probably should use my date stamp to plan out all the books sitting in my reading pile waiting for me to finish other books!

Here is a partial list of my current and future reading:  Transcending Levels of Consciousness, The Stairway to Enlightenment by David R. Hawkins.  Actually I'd like to read all his books and sampled many of them from the library.  Picker's Pocket Guide to US Coins & Currency by Arlyn G. Sieber.  All books by Ajahm Brahm, righ now I have Mindfulness Bliss and Beyond.  

Gospel Prism by Gerald Weaver, which is the book that was in Mary Colvin's personal possessions that came with her after her death. This included a backpack containing basic supplies: a change of clothes, two satellite phones and a black box containing a 387-page manuscript by her lifelong friend, Gerald Weaver. Colvin's sister, Cathleen 'Cat' Colvin set about finding Weaver and along with Sean Ryan, then foreign editor of The Sunday Times, helped to have his book published.  Mary Colvin was an American war correspondent journalist who worked for the British newspaper The Sunday Times from 1985 until her death. She died while covering the siege of Homs in Syria.  In July 2016, lawyers representing Colvin's family filed a civil action against the government of the Syrian Arab Republic claiming they had obtained proof that the Syrian government had directly ordered her assassination.  Read more about her on wikipedia here.

Abdul Sattar Edhi Autogiogrpahy:  A Mirror to the Blind.  Edhi was a Pakistani philanthropist, ascetic, and humanitarian who founded the Edhi Foundation, which runs the world's largest volunteer ambulance network all through private donations, along with homeless shelters, animal shelter, rehab centers, and orphanages across Pakistan.

First I need to find this book for less than $100.  I'm not a fan of pdf format reading, but I'll take that too, if anyone out there knows where I can find either.  Thank you in advance.

Please excuse me going a bit off topic! lol.  Back to date stamp stories!

Story 519:

So glad I got this from stamp--it's perfect. It is for dating my Polaroids--I finally got a good camera for taking them :) Good find and a great letter/story that came with it. Good luck on your mission, Kennedy, and thanks for the smile!

I wish I could see her Polaroid collection with the dates stamped on them!  It makes my day

when an Etsy buyer thanks me for the smiles!

2018 - 2026 NEW mechanical library date stamp supply, available here.

Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

Story 520:

Love the date stamp! Using it for teaching this year. Quick shipping and what a wonderful note inside, she made my day . I will definitely purchase again from this shop.

I wonder how she uses hers.  When I was teaching I had 3-4 of these stashed all over the place!  I had one practically tied to my desk for office and nurse referrals, field trip permission slips and other multiple papers that needed to be sent home, , another for homework checkers, all my students loved to check other students homework for name and date and if it didn't have the date on it, they got to use the date stamp!  And I had one at home for grading papers and other work that had to be taken home and completed.

Story 521:  Love this thing! use it to date stamp all my orders ;) i also love all the little tchotchkes she sent with it!

That is how I use mine now that I'm retired from teaching!  I use it for "thank you" note that explains my Hoarder Rehab, etc.  I searched for a note from an Etsy buyer, but the closest one I could find was this one and the date just barely got cut off in the photo.  Oh well, I tried my best searching!

The "thank you" note may or may not include a bunch of different "tchotchkes," like the ones shown above that are either samples from things listed at one of the four shops or things from my over abundant collections, like stickers!

Story 522:

I appreciated the quick shipping of the date stamp because I'm using it to document the first year of my baby's life in a photo album. Thanks for sending the extra fun ephemera.

So cool!  I'd love to see an example of how someone uses their date stamp to document a photo album!  Etsy buyers have sent me journal pages, but not a photo album yet!  I hope one day to have the time to document my art or photo album using my date stamp.

It stamps the day first, then the month and lastly the year.

2018 - 2026 NEW mechanical library date stamp supply, available here.

Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

Story 523:

Very fast shipping, Stamp works great! I love that the month is spelled out. I prefer the date that way. I was surprised and very pleased to find the small goody bag, with an ink pad as well! I will be using this to date my journal, cards, and letters. Very pleased, many thanks.

So curious to see samples of journal pages, cards and letters using the date stamp!  Hopefully one day!  I like the more unique layout of the date with the month abbreviated.  I am not a number person!

Story 524:
Hi Kennedy, 

A lovely day to receive the rubber date stamp :)
I like reading the note from you and find what people share on your blog meaningful. However, I am not a librarian, but I have worked in the college library for my work study and enjoy using various office supplies, such as small note pads, clips, and fountain pens! I hope to purchase a typewriter in the future!

Oh, in fact, I encountered a book about two years ago (returned by a student at the library) called "Stuff : compulsive hoarding and the meaning of things", very interesting psychological analysis of why people hoard things and the impact hoarding has on their lives. I think you might be interested!

Have a great weekend!

Here is what I wrote back:

Hi there!

Thank you so much for the positive feedback and your story! I'll use it on my blog and leave you anonymous! It's so appreciated. I love stamps too and have had my rubber stamp and stationary collection, since childhood. I love typewriters too and gave my childhood one away to one of my students (I'm a retired third grade inner city school teacher), but have since found another one and I actually use it for my art!

Also, you are so correct, I am interested, thank you so much for the book, STuff recommendation! I just looked at the reviews and put it on my book list. I like how it's a compassionate view on hoarding, I need that!

You have a great weekend too and thank you for making my day!

Kennedy

Unfortunately, as you know my book wish list is back logged and I'm still interested in the book STUFF, but maybe I don't even need it anymore!  I just want to let go of my hoard and move on!

Here is an example I found on google on how the date stamp could be used for a "save the date" invitation.  The date stamps in our shop, dates the day first, then the month and lastly the year.

2018 - 2026 NEW mechanical library date stamp supply, available here.

Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

Saying Goodbye:  Soon I hope to let go of all my hoard and be on a different path.  Now that I'm getting used to all the changes Etsy is implementing, I'm losing interest in this type of Hoarder Rehab outlet and I think I might be ready to find a faster route to do so!

What I Learned:

1.  I don't know how the spacing and font got like this and the fatter spacing is driving me crazy, but I'm just about out of time to finish this posting, so I'm trying my best to live with it!  Before, it used to take me about 2 weeks to write a post and now I spend 1-3 hours per post.  I still have so much to learn!  This is one long posting, but now it looks even longer with this fat spacing!  Please excuse the format and everything else with this posting, but I've been working on this for over 4 hours now trying to figure out how to get it to look like how it used to and I'll just have to live with it and hope you can too!

2.  With weeks of lack of sleep and days on end of heat waves, I've learned that my mind just about goes anywhere!  I'm hoping a less cluttered house will bring a less cluttered mind.  Focus, focus, focus!

3.  I love how this simple inexpensive date stamp can be used in so many ways, like reading logs, Polaroid photos, teacher tool, Etsy Shop Orders, First Year Baby Photo Album, Journals, Cards  and Letters and I've gotten so many more ideas through the years!   Thank you all Etsy buyers who have helped me with my Hoarder Rehab these past 5 or so years!

Fun example for a book worm party or book club end of the year party!

The date stamps in our shop, dates the day first, then the month and lastly the year.

2018 - 2026 NEW mechanical library date stamp supply, available here.

Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

Thank you Etsy buyers for sharing your stories!  I'm inspired and motivated to finding a faster way to let go of my hoard so I can move on!  Move on to reading to my heart's content, building up from yoga to martial arts, spending more time in an organic garden and creating more art!

My purge pile has stopped growing, so hopefully I can keep it growing!  It's so difficult for me to decide what to purge and what to list on the shops.  This is a good time to reflect on how painful it used to be for me to let go of my hoard and how taking years of baby steps has helped me overcome that pain.  So in a few more baby steps, I'll be able to purge more and list less!

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! 

Another cute baby shower invitation idea!  Books in lieu of cards, so baby can have a built in library before arrival!  The date stamps in our shop, dates the day first, then the month and lastly the year.

2018 - 2026 NEW mechanical library date stamp supply, available here.

Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

My new goal is to list 180 items per shop or 50 new items per month.   It has not been an easy thing for me to do and I hope I can keep up the pace of new listing 12-13 items per week!

Sales are mostly up.  We joined the Etsy Labor Day Sale yesterday, so I'm hoping sales will sky rocket! lol.  Our sale will end a week after Labor Day weekend, so either our sale ends either on September 9 or 10th. Some high end jewelry sold due to the sale, so I am very thankful!

It's been over a month since Etsy raised their fees across the board, except for the listing fee and we have felt the Etsy increase by seeing our Etsy bank account profits decrease.   I decided to sell more at lower prices and just be thankful of letting go of my hoard. 

I'm leaving the fee changes here because next blog post I want to figure out how much the increase is per dollar.  If someone already has it figured out and would share it, thank you!

Transaction fee was 3.5%, but it's going up to 5% on July 16, 2018.

New shipping fee, all shipping fees get charged 5% on July 16, 2018.

Processing fee is staying the same, I think, which is 3% plus .25 cents per transaction

Listing fee is still the same of .20 cents for 4 months, or .05 cents per month.

We have joined the Etsy Labor Day Sale now, and it will end around September 9 or 10, 2018.

Another clever way for an invitation using a date stamp, which could also be used for almost any celebration, especially a baby shower with authors: parent names and title:  Gender Reveal.  It's difficult to read and says, "Friends and family, may we borrow you?  Please save the date...

The date stamps in our shop, dates the day first, then the month and lastly the year.

2018 - 2026 NEW mechanical library date stamp supply, available here.

Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

Also, Etsy has added some new features and I wanted to talk about "notifications," but have run out of time again, so hopefully I'll remember to write about it next time.

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily and/or weekly: HoarderRehab with 174 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!

I've gotten a few requests for old date stamps with the years going back to certain years, I guess this is why.  Now I can see how this can be used for "First Baby Year" documentation.  I've seen these blown up poster size and framed for several different milestone celebrations.  The date stamps in our shop, dates the day first, then the month and lastly the year.

2018 - 2026 NEW mechanical library date stamp supply, available here.

Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

I hope you are as inspired as I am!  Thank you for visiting my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!   Have a great weekend!  Will you be stamping your heart out?  I will be stamping out a lot of stickers I use for Etsy packaging closures and also because in my "thank you,"  note I have a spot for "penny for your thoughts"  so I like to give a hand stamped penny sticker!