How KOOL is KOOL?

I love it - yes, I really love New York City. I love the country too - but New York City is my real home! Love the hustle and bustle - love the people - love it all! We are so lucky to be here every other week (at least) - just to see our grandson would be enough, but we love everything else too.

Last night we saw "BRIEF ENCOUNTER" - a definite surprise for us. The show is closing next week - but you have a few days to get a fun unexpected time - very clever performance and stage display.

We saw TRUE GRIT, THE KINGS SPEECH and today we will go to see THE ILLUSIONIST at my most favorite theater - THE PARIS THEATER. Besides NYC, I also love going to the movies!

We had some fabulous dinners - Artisinal - my most favorite! always!

But what do I love the very most?

I was at Bed Bath & Beyond the other day and the man in front of me (who wound up in back of me - don't know how that happened) said to me "you look really KOOL". Ahhhh, I mean at 63 years old, how many people do you think tell me that? and yes - it's still good to hear! Guess it's not the same as when I was 17 and working in the Garment Center - can't even repeat those comments! Yes, this is better!

Then......to top it off - I was on the Madison Avenue bus uptown when the man sitting next to me - BERNIE (in his 60s) said "did you make your muffler?" :) "Well, no" and I explained to him how I work at this fabulous store TANGLEWOOL in Lenox, MA and that this muffler was from a designer called ISSEY MIYAKE!

He was very interested in finding one for his wife. His wife was sitting a seat away from me and I must say she was a very attractive woman. Didn't want to tell him that he probably couldn't find another and that the cost was $650!

But the fact that he liked it enough to want to find one for his wife was so nice.

And that is what I also love about NYC! By the time I got off the bus he had my two business cards and I had his phone number in Albany! He suggested that we all have lunch sometime!

Took the doggies to the dog park on 27th and Fifth - roamed around Eataly!

It's been a fabulous week in New York City - blizzard and all!

I love technology

I really should just be being born right now! I love technology and would love to be able to see where it takes us in the future.
People are always rather taken when they realize some of the things that I'm capable of doing. Not because it's so amazing - but because I'm 63 years old and have absolutely no fear of technological things. Last week I bought and set up a ROKU player in our little studio apartment because our tenant does not have any TV channels. I can't live without news and movies. I heard about the ROKU player on Morning Joe and went to Radio Shack immediately to get one. My husband laughed - like I was really going to get this thing to work! My son-in-law was impressed that I even knew what a ROKU player was! HA HA HA - I showed them all! Working with ONLINE CHAT on the ROKU site, setting it up was as easy as pie.
There's so much out there and it is great.
This morning I printed out all of the labels for all of the items that have sold over the XMAS holiday and blizzard day, here at my daughter's apartment. After printing them out I just faxed them all to my house in the Berkshires so that my assistant can get all of the packages out.
Now, I know that this doesn't sound like THE MOST BRILLIANT thing in the world to do - but the idea that I can order the labels here on my computer in New York City and get them faxed over to my house in the Berkshires is really great!
Yes, she could have ordered the labels on the computer there (well, if the satellite is cleaned of the 30" of snow) but because she is not as familiar with ordering up the labels as I am, it would have really taken a long time for both of us. Me on one end of the phone and her on the other.
OK OK, the fact that I had the pages in upside down and that they came through blank at the other end, well - that's OK, I'm sending them again. :)

So yes - this made a real difference and without all of the wonderful technology, it would be impossible.

XMAS in NYC

There is nothing like New York City at Christmas time! I love it so much.
Got up this morning and ran out to catch the Blue LIGHT Unlimited Bus uptown. What a great bus! especially when there is no traffic. Talk of a BIG STORM got everyone out early along with the shoppers looking for the BIG SALES. Stores opened at 8AM this morning - how fabulous is that?
I took off making BED BATH & BEYOND my first stop, and damn - didn't I forget my coupon? That's me - plenty of coupons sitting on the table! Luckily BB&B lets you bring in the receipt and get your 20%! YAY! I mean really, the gal in front of me had her coupon and she only bought a chocolate bar - she saved 20 cents. I could have bought her coupon for 40 cents and still come out ahead! I bought my Tassimo coffee discs and walked over to Bloomingdales. I love that they opened at 8AM! But there was nothing for me there and I moved on to Saks Fifth Avenue!
BEDLAM! The place was packed - I couldn't believe it. Here we have a HUGE STORM predicted but that doesn't stop New Yorkers from looking for their bargains - myself included. But really, I wasn't looking for bargains - just wanted to get some make up at the Cle de Peu counter - $300 later I went up to the shoe floor! Yes, they have their own zip code! Bedlam - no, that word doesn't describe it. You had to wait on line just to get to the shoes! How funny is that? And then, you get to the shoes - and then what? How could you possibly find someone to help you? How could you find what you might want? No, I must not be the shopper I think that I am - because there was no way that I was going to be able to find anything there today! But the gals were doing it - people even had shopping bags filled with shoes! NOT ME!
I moved on to Lord & Taylor and Sarabeth's for a nice delicious yogurt with granola and honey. YUM YUM & YUM!
When I was young I would never have gone anywhere to eat all by myself - now, I love it! It gives you the opportunity to look around and see the people! See what's going on around you! and the yogurt was delicious!
After that I actually went to the Men's floor and bought my hubby boots! This is a man who stays in any shoe department for hours deciding if the shoes/boots/etc. are going to be OK. I mean really, 13 Narrow! Impossible! But not for me - do these Timberland's come in a size 13? They do? GREAT!, I'll take them! and in 10 minutes I was out of there - boots in hand and perfect for the hubby! He loved them, and they fit! WOW! I think that is a riot. If he were with me, we'd probably still be in the department.
From there it was off to Grand Central Market to get provisions for being snowed in. Fabulous Chilean Sea Bass that was beyond delicious. Listening to PANDORA in our little studio in Manhattan - it's great!
A couple of drinks and a few dances - married 37 years! We're lucky!
It doesn't get better than this - not for me, anyway!
I LOVE NY!
and yes, it's snowing - beautiful from up here looking out at the city.....lots of snow....a paradise!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I'm back!

Like a bad penny! I keep turning up again. I really hate that I have so little time for this blog but it's been calling out to me and perhaps I can start again.
So many things have happened since last MAY!
The business has been growing by leaps and bounds - it's so interesting to me that I started my eBay selling about 9 years ago just by selling things from my own closet. Now my house looks like a consignment shop - I'm not thrilled about that - not at all! I guess it's the price I have to pay for the way this has grown - and that I'm happy about.
I have so many fabulous women sending me such fabulous things that each day it's hard to decide which items to list. My "clients" are all anxious to see their things get listed - and believe me, once they get a check - they're hooked! How wonderful to receive a nice big check for things that you don't want anymore. But they're great things and for years they have just given them away - but a big check! I don't care how much money anyone has - when you hand over a check for almost $13,000 - well, how good is that?
Of course I haven't handed over too many $13,000 checks but I have sent people thousands of dollars and that's good for everyone!

Both eBay and my selling have changed so much since I started - but the idea is the same! Getting the things from one closet to another. From the closet that doesn't want them anymore to the closet that can't wait to get them.

Today I delivered a CHANEL bag to a very handsome young man at Grand Central Station. He bought it last night and I decided that maybe it would be a good idea to call him. I already had it wrapped and packed to mail out but something told me that perhaps he needs it "right now". We were coming into the city and he lived in the city and I thought that I would give it a shot. I think that he was very happy - he met us at Grand Central (my dogs were yapping away) and I was able to hand deliver the bag in time for Christmas. I love that! And - it is a beautiful bag. I hope that his wife will love it.

I really love my eBay selling and try to do so many things that can help people out. What I love is that so many of my eBayers tell me that they wish all of the sellers were like me. When I get emails like that - it makes it all the more worthwhile. I love selling! and I love that my eBayers (most of them) are really quite special.

It's amazing too how many people I communicate with that I've met on eBay - people from all over the world. Probably that's why I don't have the time for the blog - I'm busy typing away all of the time.

So now it's just about Christmas - hard to believe another year has gone by. I hope that it's been good for everyone - I know that it's rough out there!