Hard work, little return.....is this crazy or what?!?!?

    

     A good friend of mine recently made a comment that really struck home with me.  He just couldn't understand why is it I put sooooooo much effort into a resale business when there is such little return right now.  His comment went something like this:  "Why do you work so hard on getting things just right at your shop when it doesn't seem to pay out very well?  I just don't understand, it doesn't make sense!" 

     And he's right---it doesn't make sense to work full-time at a 'real' job, to use your free weekends' to work yourself into the ground trying to get a side business going.   It doesn't make sense to get up super early on your days off just so you can beat your competition to the garage sales/estate sales to find 'treasures' for resale.  And it doesn't make sense to try and figure out WHAT in the world the buying public wants this week which is ALWAYS different from what they wanted LAST week!!!

     None of this makes sense and yet, so many of us resalers continue doing all of the above--why?!?

     Is it the thrill of the hunt?  Is it the thought that the next treasure we find for $1 could make us millionaires?!  Or is it something else?

     Well, I can't answer for anyone else, but I can tell you how I feel---its the hunt for me!!  There is just something about digging through box after box of junk, looking for that one item that will help you retire in total luxury.  That one elusive treasure has kept me digging through old barns full of petrified raccoon poop (true story), trash piles sitting outside a remodeled house and again, tons and tons of boxes full of everything from vintage dinnerware to broken worthless children's toys!! Picking, as we resellers call it, is very addictive.

     There is great joy in seeing value in an item that everyone else seems to have overlooked.  And it doesn't hurt to make some money off your investment too!

     So, back to the issue of 'working hard with little return'.   I wish I could come up with some deep, meaningful reason for what we 'pickers' do with our lives, but the truth is.......I just don't know.  Perhaps it is all based on hope--the hope that all our efforts will someday bring us financial security--the hope that we are making a difference in someone's life--the hope that the things from old that brought us joy will do the same for the next generation.  Yes, I think that's it---Hope--I like that answer.

My booth at a recent trade show

The goal is to NOT take everything home!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

God Bless all and any who read this,

Pat, A Remade Life

"Whatever" Purses are here!!!!

     As some of you may know I had foot surgery almost 5 weeks ago---and, although it went very well, a reaction to the meds and edema in my foot caused me to be laid up a little longer then usual.  Now, I am NOT one to just lay around and watch soaps (and what's up with cable?!-all those channels and nothing good to watch!!!) so I decided to try to get a little creative work in.  However, not being very mobile kinda limited what I could do.

     So, I gathered as many bolts of laces, trims, fabrics, kitschy items and STUFF that I could grab, sat myself down on my sofa, propped my foot up on a pillow and started sewing!!

     The one rule I made myself stick to was "JUST HAVE FUN"!!!   Under no circumstances would I let myself stress out over, 'does it look right?", 'is it too small', is it too big', is it kitschy enough', 'is it too odd'!!?? and on and on and on........NO!!

    And so I just started grabbing whatever was within my reach and sewed it on the purse.  Some purses turned out cute, some turned out a little odd, but ALL were fun to make!!!  And it was GREAT therapy as I recovered.  As a matter of fact, it was sooooooooo much fun that I decided to finish them up and I've posted them in my etsy shop for sale- www.aremadelife.etsy.com  .

     And that's how the "Whatever Purse" was born!!!  I do plan on continuing making them, even though my foot is doing better.  (I'm still in that silly 'boot' thing but will hopefully be out of it soon!)  Here are a few pictures of my Whatever Purses---let me know what you think!

Please be sure and leave me a comment, let me know what you think!
And be sure to 'like' us on facebook--'Remade Life Emporium"
Until then, God bless all and any who read this,
Pat, A Remade Life
www.aremadelife.etsy.com
www.lovethatvintagestyle.etsy.com

Best Customers in the World!!

This past weekend was the Winnie Trade Days show and what a good show it was!  Although we didn't make as much money as we did last month we did ok-- but the real joy came in meeting some of the greatest customers in the world!!

I had the great pleasure of meeting many new customers as well as seeing some long-time returning ones. What fun it was to visiting with people, make new friends and 'share' the love of God with so many!!  I felt truly blessed to meet each and every one that came into my shop.

There was the lovely mom-in-law and daughter-in-law who came in with the cutest of babies (don't worry Brayden, grandma still loves you the best!).   The young ladies husband was in the military and had been deployed.  She was part of a military group that was raising money for the troops by creating a calendar of military wives dressed in vintage clothing---which just happens to be one of my specialties.  We talked and shared thoughts about vintage clothing, she checked out all the different vintage styles I had and even purchased some.  I gave her my contact info and hope we will stay in touch with each other.

Then there was the young girl (17 yrs old) who came in with her mom to look for and buy vintage clothing, not for any party or event but just because she LOVES vintage clothing!!  It just thrills my heart to see young people enjoying great things from the past.  And her mom was the best--she bought her daughter a complete outfit, dress and matching hat.  This young lady is a definite individual, one who knows who she is and not likely to fall into the 'status quo'!

And remember my little buddy Zack, the one who won the American Pickers youth contest, a $10,000 scholarship and a trip to the Smithsonian?  Well, my little buddy ain't so little anymore!!  I saw him walking down the hall and almost didn't recognize him!!  He's grown a foot and it now taller than me and has 'leaned-down' and lost his baby fat.  And even though he's a young teenager, he stopped to visit and we had a good hugging session!!  That kid definitely has a place in my heart!!

Well, that's pretty much how our weekend went.  We only had one minor issue that was our 'fly in the ointment'.  I was cleaning off one of our glass shelf units when one of the shelves collapsed and all the glassware on that shelf broke.  But I count my blessings cause I could have been hurt/cut my the flying glass however, I came away without a scratch!  Thank you Lord for your protecting hand!

So, here are a few pictures for you to enjoy, unfortunately none of our customers--it was just too busy to stop to take pictures.

My 'little' buddy Zack in a 'before' picture---he's NOT this little now!!

The top shelf is the one that collasped--pretty much everything on it broke

And of course, the most beautiful baby in the world, my Brayden!

I had to include this pic of Brayden in NOT one of his finer moments--that's not chocolate he's covered in--ughhh!

Here is he all cleaned up and happy again

He's full of McNuggets, french fries and a smoothie--not his usual diet but ok once in a while

And that's it for now, thanks for stopping by and taking a peepie-poo (sorry, didn't mean to mention 'poo' again!).  God Bless all and any who read this,

Pat, A Remade Life

NOT a messy house-------really!!!!

Have you ever got into one of those moods where all you want is a clean house?  You know, you want everything in its place, no extra 'treasures in boxes' lining your hallway, everything neat and tidy?  Well, I'm here to tell you I'M IN THAT MOOD!!!!

Having a resale business can, uhmmmmm, overwhelm your otherwise normal life.  You begin by finding a few really nice items for your shop then, before you know it, those items have multiplied and are now in every spare spot in your home---at least, that's what has happened to me!!

I love going to garage sales, estate sales, resale shops, etc.---it's just so much fun looking for that elusive 'big' find, you know, the one that's going to make you rich and famous or at least make you smile.  But, as I began to look around at all my resale treasures, I realized that I could no longer live with them overtaking my life.  And so, the MOOD came over me and I began a new adventure, one that promises to give me a clean start (pardon the pun!) and a sparkly home.

I started by cleaning out all the closets that house my wonderful finds---and there are a lot of closets in my house that fit that description!  I never realized how much you can stuff into such small spaces.  I found tote after tote of items I forgot I even had!  I had four piles going--pile #1 was for items going to my shop (yes, I still plan on closing down my Winnie shop but NOT until most of this stuff is gone!), pile #2 was for donating to a local resale shop/ministry,  pile #3 was items that were just 'not so wonderful' and were being trashed and pile #4 was for items I will be placing either on ebay or in my etsy shop - www.lovethatvintagestyle.etsy.com.

It's slow going but I've made some real progress.  I've taken several loads to the resale shop and numerous bags to the trash.  The pictures I'm posting here are the rest of the stuff for the shop and internet.

Please, don't judge me I am not a hoarder, just someone trying to supplement their income and also make a difference by recycling.

So, I take my heart in my hand and share these pictures of the fruits of my labor--piles and piles of cool vintage clothing, nifty kitchen items, lots and lots of baby clothes (my grandson Brayden is growing soooo fast) and just about anything you can think of---and it will all be leaving my house soon!!

                                 This pile is lots and lots of linens and vintage wedding dresses

                                                               same pile as above

                     This is the largest pile full of clothing, vintage quilts, more vintage wedding dresses
                  and tons of baby clothes from Brayden--I think there's a sofa under there somewhere!

                     This smaller pile is lots of great vintage ladies dresses, coats and purses


As you can see, I've been busy.  I will be so happy to get my house back in order and hopefully make a little (or a lot) of money as well.

Next project:  my garage and warehouse unit----I think I'm going to need help, anyone interested!!  ;)

God Bless all and any who read this,
Pat, A Remade Life

New Adventures are a-comin'!!

So, had a very busy weekend getting all my 'treasures' out of the antique mall.  It was a lot more work than I originally thought--who knew you could put so much in such a small space?!?!?!  Anyway, the antique mall is now just a memory.  It was an easy decision to leave--I wasn't making any money and it was becoming more and more difficult to get over there and work on my booth.  There are lots of good workers there and the fellow vendors I met were great.  Also, Kudos to the manager, Susan, who was always very kind to me. It was very much appreciated.

And now, on to our next adventure!  I still have to close down my shop in Winnie, TX ( now THAT will be work!!)  but that will be a much slower process, one we will probably spread out over the next few months. We are hoping to be out by October at the latest but really shooting for September.  In the meantime, I have begun working on my next project, one I am truly enjoying.  It's not something I can discuss at this time (I am working on trademarking it) but I will share a few photos.

It is amazing how God directs our steps when we let Him!  He is a loving heavenly Father and wants only the best for us in ALL areas of our lifes.  I know He is guiding me even though at first I wasn't happy about closing my shop--I couldn't see the path God was taking me down, all I could see was 'failure'!    But He has better plans for me, plans to prosper and excel (as He does for us all!)  God is good.

So here are the photos of 'what's to come', just a little sneak peak into an adventure I am looking forward to!!

And of course, a few pics of my wonderful grandson Brayden--sitting in the refrigerator!!!

That's it for now but there's lots more to come!!
God Bless all and any who read this,
Pat, A Remade Life

"Cleaning House"

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted but I do have a good excuse---I've been on vacation!!  And where, you might ask, did I go?  NOWHERE!!--I stayed home.  And it was awesome.

Those of you who are not into resale or 'hoarding with a purpose' as I like to call it, you might not understand how easy it is for resale to take over your life.  And it seems to happen so subtly that you don't notice how 'cluttered' your home is getting till something practically falls on your head!!  No, nothing fell on me but I did look around one day and say 'enough is enough'.  That's when I decided to reclaim my house!

So for the past 8-days I've been organizing, throwing away (not easy for me to do!), donating to a local charity and moving these 'treasures' out of my house!  I must admit that I did start slowing down after 5-days but I did manage to accomplish most of my goals---my garage is now organized and I've actually got lots of space to move around in there/my kitchen is now a REAL kitchen and not a place to store extra supplies--we are even eating at the kitchen table again/my laundry room is actually a place for washing & drying your clothes and not a 'holding' spot for things on their way to the garage/and I even had some time to organize my workroom and organize my bedroom!!

I think I went back to work today just to get a little rest!!  But I am very happy with the progress I made and the things that still need to be done are no longer intimidating--they are 'do-able'!!

I even managed to sort and organize many of these treasures and have begun posting many of them in my shop on etsy.

And while you might not see any before & after pictures of my home (no way jose, there's no way I'm letting anyone see how bad it got!),  I will post a few pictures of my wonderful grandson, Brayden and my dear mom whom we visited with while I was off!

If this picture looks fuzzy it's because I couldn't get Brayden to be still!!

"Excuse me, could you spare a dollar for an ICEE"?

Brayden LOVES being outdoors at the park!!

This and the following pics are just some of the items I've posted for sale in my etsy shop

OK, so I decided to show you an AFTER picture of my garage--believe me this is TONS better then the BEFORE!!

This is my very retro and very pleasant kitchen--I'm soooo happy we are now taking time to eat at the table!!

  Well, that's pretty much it for now.  Hope you've enjoyed the pictures of my 'vacation' and please let me know what you think, leave me a comment--I would LOVE to hear from you!!

God Bless all and any who read this,
Pat, A Remade Life
www.lovethatvintagestyle.etsy.com   --my etsy shop, check it out!

Canton TX First Monday Trade Days

You would think that living in the state that has one of the largest flea markets in the united states would mean that you go there as often as possible--wouldn't you?!  Well, it ain't necessarily so!!!  I've lived here since I was three yrs. old (a very, very long time) and I went there for the first time just a few months ago!!

The Canton 'First Monday' Flea Market is absolutely HUGH--acres and acres of nothing but 'treasures'!  It is a pickin' paradise.  My son Jonathan and I plus my sweet grandson Brayden went there a few months ago and had the best of times!  Even Brayden got in on the fun---he shopped and shopped with us until he just couldn't shop anymore.  He was such a little trooper--and didn't even get fussy until he fell and hurt his nose.  Poor baby--but it didn't take him long to get over it and shop some more!

If you ever find yourself wanting to take a pickin' trip, consider going to Canton, Tx's First Monday Trade Show--I quarantee you'll enjoy yourself AND come away with lots and lots of goodies!!

We saw this imitation 'Mater' on the way to Canton--really cool

Jonathan showing Brayden how to spot a good deal

Jonathan taking a second to pose in front of  one of the thousands of vendor booths

Me trying to shop till I drop--I had been sick the week before we went and was still not  well

'STOP, I think I see something I want"!!

"Hey, is that a vintage Mickey Mouse Club Hat"?!

'You know I'd look good in that'!

Uncle Jonathan is a good teacher

This is a really cool seat from an old bowling alley--wish I'd had room in my van!

Guess we have to go now--no more room!

Trying to stay hydrated!

"I think I'm ready to go now, grandma"!

AND he's out!!!!

We had soooo much fun and we can't wait to go back soon---but not till after the summer heat----this is Texas after all!!!

God Bless All and Any who read this,
Pat, A Remade Life