« Older Archive for March, 2009

Thanks For Craigslist.com

Monday, March 30th, 2009 by Alyice

I’ve known about Craigslist.com, a free online site for placing classified ads, for many years. I was first introduced to the site as a way to find freelance writing jobs. At first, it paid off. But eventually, the job area proved to be nothing more than a haven for spammers and scammers and so I left the site—only to return when I had something to sell; which, of course, is what brought me back this year.

When I decided to do some much needed de-cluttering this winter, it left me with two choices: donate or sell. I often donate small items to local charities, but I really didn’t want to donate big ticket items and I wasn’t in the mood to host a garage sale; especially not in the dead of winter—who’d come anyway?

So I did what any thrifty American would do, I posted my stuff on Craigslist.com. And guess what, it worked!

The trick to selling your junk, err family heirlooms, on Craigslist.com is to stick to your geographic area, be honest and direct, provide as much detail as possible, include several photos, and re-list your item if it has not sold within four days.

I use Craigslist’s hidden email service because it puts a stop to spammers. I never include my physical address, telephone number, or name in the listing. I provide this information when—and if—the email correspondence pans out, starting with a phone number and then a physical address upon confirmation that the party is truly interested in buying the piece. Oh, and I always have a third party with me at time of pick-up, and I inform an outside party of the transaction that’s about to take place—you can never be too careful these days.

I often start my posts with a title that tells the browser exactly what I’m listing, the city in which I am located, and the price I want for the product. Then I follow it up with short, descriptive details about the product, what I paid for the item or what the current retail price is if different than what I paid, what I am asking for, if I’ll accept cash or credit card, and if I’ll ship the item or if the buyer must pick up the item. Then I include four images: a full shot, a close-up of details, and a close-up of any defect.

In the descriptive area, I give as many detailed facts as possible. When I sold my dresser, I explained that the dresser was made of solid pine and that two of the drawers did not have bottoms. Then I included a close-up showing one drawer with the bottom in place and another drawer without the bottom so that the would-be-buyer could get an idea of what it would take to replace the bottom.

For instance, when listing my daughter’s bike, the text looked like this:

Boys Racing Bike; Not an adult bike
32 in bike
Falcon MLG-271
Super 24 Racing Technology, SAS Equipped
Yellow in color
7 speed/gear
3 sprockets
Both breaks work
Good tires, still has tread
Seat has small tear from where daughter fell on the cement
Bought it 2 Christmases ago and only used during summer months around town
Paid $125
Asking $50 cash, firm
You pick up

And here’s a listing I put together for some lawn furniture:

Lawn Set
2 Metal chairs with water fountain .
Set is green in color.
Chairs are not matching in design but in color, material, and texture.
Chairs are able to rock back and forth but do not glide like traditional rockers.
Water fountain has a little girl holding an umbrella with 3 frogs that spit water.
Water fountain is stored in garage during winter months but does show signs of use.
Set could use a fresh coat of rust-free paint but fine as is.
Paid $275
Asking $50 cash for the set
You pick up

I have to tell you, Craigslist sure beats putting up flyers at the local grocery store, placing classified ads in the local paper, and haggling with garage sale veterans!

Posted in It's Gratitude, Dude! | Comments Off

How To Crochet A Scarf

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 by Alyice

The other night, as I sat on the couch watching my husband and son compete against each other via a Wii video game, I decided to pull out some scrap yarn and create a scarf. I wondered if I could create a scarf without a pattern—especially having never made one before. And to my amazement, I could.

The next day, as my husband and I watched the second season of Angel, I pulled out more scrap yarn. This yarn, however, was different than the yarn from the day before. It was strips of yarn that had been tied together, via knots, to form one large ball. I wondered if I could use this yarn to create a scarf without it looking “too tacky” and guess what, I could!

Here are the three scarves I’ve created to date.

To create your own scarves, you’ll need 200 yards of yarn (or a ball of scraps if you have it), K-10 ½ crochet hook, and about three hours—less if you’re fast. The yarn I preferred to use was an acrylic, nylon, polyester blend. It was manufactured by Yarn Bee for Hobby Lobby® and is called: Soft Delight Pale Pink (or Green).

To start your scarf, tie a loop onto your crochet hook.

Next, crochet a chain of 150 to 240 single crochet stitches; depending on the length you want.
Create 12 to 15 rows of double crochet stitches; depending on the width you want. When turning the corner to come back around and start the next row, single crochet one stitch before beginning the next double crochet row. Make sure to start with the very first loop of each row and end with the very last loop of each row.
Single crochet around the entire scarf to finish it off—this helps keep the shape once it goes into the wash. When turning the corner, single crochet two extra stitches to keep the corners from turning in. (I do this with all the blankets I make.)
Tie off the end by making a knot.

Once the scarf is complete, create the fringe.

Cut 160 to 200 four inch pieces of yarn; half for each end of the scarf.
Use the crochet hook to bring a single piece of yarn through a loop at the end of the scarf.
Make sure both ends of the yarn are equal in length, then tie a double knot.
Use two to three pieces of yarn per loop and don’t be afraid to alternate the colors.

To “set” the scarf, wash on the delicate or “hand wash” cycle, then let air dry. If you do put your scarf in the dryer, tumble dry on low heat.

Keep Creating.

Posted in Art How-Tos Crochet | Comments Off

Thanks For The Loaner

Monday, March 23rd, 2009 by Alyice

Last year we had a run of bad luck with cars. My husband’s work car was totaled after a semi-truck backed into my husband while he was still in the car. Then the car we inherited from my mom simple stopped working on my husband’s drive in to work—the engine literally broke apart. And only a month after its purchase, my son’s car stopped running due to an electrical issue. For nearly a year, we survived on one vehicle: my mini-van.

But this month, we seriously needed a second vehicle because I chose to pick up a part-time job until my husband’s full-time hours are reinstated. (And let me tell you it’s not easy running a home business and working for an employer again!)

That’s where the Jimmy comes in. Isn’t he a beaut?

It’s my 76 year old mother-in-law’s vehicle. Up until this month the only people who’ve been allowed to get behind that steering wheel have been her husband and on rare occasions, her son—my husband. So when I called her up last month to request permission to drive her vehicle to and from work 3 days a week, I truthfully expected a “no”. But instead, I was given the okay!

I am very grateful for her willingness to loan us her “baby” because it sure is making life a lot easier right now.

Give thanks…

Posted in It's Gratitude, Dude! | Comments Off

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