sandsygingham

Do you know someone who suffers from Alzheimer's or Dementia? Or a Caregiver who needs help?

2010-11-04T07:00:00.001-07:00

ALZHEIMER'S SUPPORT

Is Alzheimer's, Dementia, and Senility all the same disease?

Did you know that someone with mid-stage Alzheimer's can no longer read the hands on a clock?

For someone with memory loss, time and date is best understood on a digital clock or calendar?

Do you understand Sundowning? Shadowing? Wandering? and sometimes Spells of Rage?

Do you wonder how long a loved one with Alzheimer's might live...or remain normal...or remember You?

Who will take care of you or your finances if you get Alzheimer's?

Learn the 7 Levels of Dementia or the

10 Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimers

http://free-alzheimers-support.com

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The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss in Later Life, 4th Edition

A Caregiver's Guide to Alzheimer's Disease: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

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Sewing Supplies including 1,000's of Pattern, Thread, Fabric, Fat Quarter, Yarn, and much much more!

2010-11-04T06:33:00.001-07:00

http:

SWEET SEWING PATTERNS

1,000's of Brand New Sewing patterns

McCalls, Butterick, Simplicity, New Look, Vogue, Style

Join us at Sweet Sewing Patterns for an assortment of patterns, plus everything else needed for a sweet sewing room! Daily News articles about sewing or anything Arstsy Craftsy!

Check your patterns sizes here

Sewing Machine Reviews

Sewing Books

And lots of fun, news, hints, tips and more

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PatternReview.com 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts and Tips: Top-Rated Favorites from Sewing Fans and Master Teachers

Sewing For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies))

Brother XL2600I Sew Advance Sew Affordable 25-Stitch Free-Arm Sewing Machine

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Shop Ebay for Designer Bedding or Custom Shams and Matching Decorated Hand Towels!

2010-11-04T05:50:00.004-07:00

Sandy's Gingham Country

Ebay PowerSeller for 9 years

Hand Made Pillow Shams and Decorated Towels

from Designer Fabrics

Sharing some of what we've learned about bed and bath linens over the years and to answer some of the recurring questions that we receive daily, we have several blogs ~~ all about linens.

Does Thread Count really matter?
Does fabric content make a difference in softness?
Why can't I find Decorator fabric 'by the yard,' to match my favorite Bedding Collection?
How can I view the coordinates for a "retired" collection?

Need an answer! Come join us!

Bed Bath and More

or The Smart Linen Closet
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Egyptian Cotton 1200 Thread Count Solid Sheet Set - Queen / White

Hemstitch Dinner Napkins White 1 Dozen

Calvin Klein "Bamboo Flower" Full/Queen Duvet Cover

Lauren Ralph Lauren "Cote d'Azur" Flat Sheet, Queen Small Flower

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Wow! I can't believe I haven't been here since April--

2010-10-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

I missed the entire summer of posting on this blog!

Sometimes, I feel like I have so many irons in the fire--there's no time for anything else except--well uh--ironing. ugh

I'd rather be doing anything but--I don't know how many of you make a living through web sales; online auctions, stores, crafting sites, affiliate marketing and such. But it's getting tough out there. I've been selling on Ebay for 10 years and always thought it was a fairly nice way to make a living until recently. Well, actually, not real recent. I'd say the last couple of years have taken a turn downward. I think I kept telling myself that it wasn't really happening. We'd pull out of it. Or the Democrats would start creating jobs or the Republicans would get back in office.

Actually, I'm not quite sure what happened. I do know that you can't make a living on ebay anymore, at least not selling the things I sell you can't. And most friends I have that have been ebay sellers for many many years are saying the same thing. Is it the economy? Is it Ebay? Is it online selling? I just don't know. I wish I did.

And then there's the social security thing. My mom lived just fine on social security. There's no way that can happen today. Not for me. So another strike against the baby boomer bunch.

So I guess what I'm saying is I've been darn busy all summer trying to make a living! lol! Took me plenty of time to spit that out, didn't it.
---

Actually, I have taken time out from a busy work schedule to watch football. Can't miss that. Though the Dallas Cowboys have made me consider the idea of skipping football season altogether this year. Yep, first time ever. I think we need to go have a little talk with Roger Staubach with a fistful of dollars. Oh yeah--he's probably too old. Dang it!

And Brett Favre. Good grief! Who does he think he is? I mean--when will these athletes Grow Up!
Oh yeah, they've been doing this forever--haven't they.
----------------
Sandy

The Elderly have Better Odds

2010-04-19T10:19:00.005-07:00

I saw something interesting on T.V. last night. It made me stop and think. One of those short stories told quickly because they have 2 minutes between a commercial and the next guest. Better known as a filler in "newspaper days".

Simply stated the 2-minute blip said: "You are more likely to win the lottery than to be struck by lightning"

Now, that was surprising to me. Actually, I thought you were more likely to do "anything," than to win the lottery. That's what my dad always told me and I believed him so I've never been much of a gambler. But now, I may have to give the lottery a second thought. If I'm more likely to win the lottery, than to be hit by lightning...that sounds like much better odds to me.

My children disagree with the fact that winning is easier than a lightning strike, but do believe that lottery wins are bias toward the elderly. "Only old people win the lottery!" my children say. "They're in their sixties and seventies. What do they want with all that money?"

I'm thinking (maybe they want to replenish what they've spent over the last 25-30 years on diapers, infant formula, school supplies, designer clothes, not to mention 4 years of underwriting teenage car insurance!)

Wait a minute, I'm one of those elderly. I think I could have a lot of fun with a lottery win! And now that all my children are in their mid-thirties, I'm only buying food and clothes for two, insurance for one car, no school supplies or formula or designer clothes...wait a minute.

Fewer expenses equals more cash on hand, more cash on hand equals more lottery tickets, more lottery tickets equals better odds... I think I got it.

~Sandy

That time of year

2010-04-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

It's nearing that time of year again. Usually, I take little notice since all of my children are in their mid to late 30's. But this year I have a 17 year-old grandson and that means a high school graduation.

Strange, it seems like only yesterday that my own children were that age, and not much before that, I was a senior in high school, myself. My goodness, time happens in the blink of an eye. Hubby and I hear news of something on TV and are flabbergasted that so many years have past.

We landed on the moon when? No way. I remember that first step like it happened yesterday.

That they could actually blow the Texas Stadium into oblivion is outrageous. What a waste.

I remember when discussions were underway to broadcast football games on Monday night. I thought that was pretty outrageous too. We already had football every Sunday afternoon. Who on earth would watch football on Monday, it's a week night for Pete's sake.

My Point of View

2010-04-09T05:57:00.009-07:00

When I first saw this gadget, I couldn't help but think....What a way to read a book!

After learning more about the Kindle, I thought I'd need one about as much as I need one of my adult children to move back home. I mean, I love all my children but when they're in their 30's and 40's it's time to cut the cord.

A book is not a book unless you lick a finger and turn a page. Is it?

The Kindle Store

Then, this week we see the IPad introduced to rave reviews. Regardless of the price for a new way to play with photos, buyers are flocking to the stores to get their very own video manipulator. Oh my goodness.

I will admit, though, I would like to have one of these, myself, for no other reason than to play with my digital photo albums. Those guys on TV make exploding and shrinking photos look like a lot of fun. But $500 for a photo album. That's a little much...

Health Care

2010-03-24T06:50:00.002-07:00

I just added a poll for the new Health Care plan. I'm curious to know what you think. I think it might be a good thing for us baby-boomers in our late 60's and 70's. But I want to cry when I think about what it will do to our children's and grandchildren's future expenses.

As an online seller for so many years, I've been in contact with a few other sellers from Canada. Health Care has come up often. Though we knew it wasn't feasible since we were considered "contract workers," rather than employees, we'd hoped for a health care option from Ebay. So we discussed health care, often, and wondered what to do about the lack of it on a regular basis. And really, the sellers from Canada (who already have a national health care system) did not fare well, from the discussions I heard. They were forced to wait many months for doctor's appointments and tests. Some catastrophic consequences resulted from those long waits, we learned from reading the Ebay forums and sharing information with our fellow sellers from Canada. Very sad.

Guess our own National Health Care will be a wait and see for now...

~sandy

The good ole days and the simple life!

2009-12-31T06:30:00.020-07:00

I Hope everyone received the very best from their Christmas Wish List!

My oldest grandson was thrilled to receive item #1 on his wish list this year. All he wanted was an IPOD TOUCH. A hand-held device for music and photos about the size of a cell phone. I mean this thing is little with more storage space than my desktop computer.

My grandson, now an eighteen-year-old electronic gadget guru, (or maybe I should say: Electronic Gadget Collector) was a mere babe of 2 years old when we got our very first Computer. Simple back then, computing meant No frills - No Windows - No Mouse - and storage space was less than a very small game would be nowadays. It was simple input through keystrokes on a black screen controlled by the big C:\DOS.

At 2 years old, it didn’t take much to make my grandson happy. Bold letters printed on 3x5 index cards pointed to his favorite games.

"C:\games\ChrisGames\amy.bat "

He didn’t know how to read but he knew if the letters were punched into the keyboard in the exact order as printed on the card, he would enter the wonderful world of gaming. Small games, simple games, a young boy could count, color or create sims for hours.

As simple as they were, even those early games could be violent. It took a steady firing finger to kill all the space invaders before they exploded on your head. And running for your life through a neon flashing maze while multi-colored, chomping circles are hot on your tail can be downright scary!

Ahh, the "good ole" days and the simple life.

~Sandy

Sewing Supplies-Plus..... new sewing patterns just listed

2009-12-17T04:14:00.009-07:00

I just listed more than 100 new patterns at Sewing Supplies-Plus! My brand new eCRATER Store!
If you love to sew, I'm sure I have a pattern you'd love to own.

Womens - Women's-Plus - Childrens - Home Decor - and Crafts

If you're searching for a specific pattern, try searching
Sewing Supplies Plus -----> Sewing Supplies-Plus

Shopping Tip from Sandysgingham

2009-11-22T08:39:00.006-07:00

Since Black Friday is just around the corner, and most will begin their Christmas shopping in earnest at that time, I wanted to offer a helpful tip.

Decorated Hand Towels make great stocking stuffers!

A great gift for casual friends and acquaintances as well as the perfect item for the gal with "everything." My decorated towels come in many colors with a wide variety of fabric trims; Shabby Chic pink, Polo Teddy Bear, Paris chic Eiffel Tower, Paisley, Gingham, Plaid and Toile.

Check them out when you have a chance and I'm sure one of my towel sets will be a perfect match for one of your dear friends!

Sandy's Gingham Custom Towels

~Sandy

Another Saturday night with U of A

2009-11-22T08:07:00.007-07:00

If you live in Portland....or anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, I don't even want to hear it. I mean, it's only been 155 years that we've been trying to get into the Rose Bowl. Okay Okay, I exaggerate, but that's how it feels when you're in your sixties and you've been cheering for Arizona for 50 years or so.

It was a great game, edge-of-your-seat excitement, double overtime, we just didn't have enough to pull it out and win. And that's sad for the fans.

Congrats to the Ducks and good luck beating Oregon St on your way for a Rose Bowl bid.

We'll be back next year.

~Sandy

Toasting Marshmallows

2009-11-14T05:13:00.017-07:00

Hubby and I went to our son's house last night to watch the Arizona football game. He's the son with the biggest TV. I mean, we're talking football, so the size of the TV is the ultimate factor in where you go to watch the game. Arizona played like super-bowl stars last week so we're ready for some big time celebrating after they whip the California Bears this week.

Our ranking is at stake, not to mention a sought-after Rose Bowl appearance! So we sit on the edge of our seats as the first quarter plays out, not quite as jubilant about their talent after we see the Bears score first. Let's just say, our shouts are no longer warm and fuzzy.

A glowing fireplace sits alone in the back of the room, lit for the first time this fall, warming the air, nice and toasty. A cozy setting for a family gathering and a hot football game. Arizona...not so hot.

I'm in no hurry to return to the TV, wide-screen or not, this game is getting ugly. With a hot chocolate refill from the kitchen, I find a bag of marshmallows and a shish-kabob skewer and make path to the fire. I can't even remember the last time I toasted marshmallows. I mean, glass-top electric stoves just aren't conducive to toasting marshmallows. And a shish-kabob skewer isn't quite long enough either, unless you don't mind burning the fingers off one hand. We think alike, so my son says "wait" and I do as I'm told until he returns with a stick he cut from a tree in the back yard. Perfect!

It isn't long before my daughter-in-law sits beside me. Somehow, I don't think women feel good about giving the tongue lashing that's direly needed by a losing football team. To avoid the raucous around us, she made her own little raid on the kitchen. She balances a box of graham crackers, paper plates and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Oh my! I always knew I liked her.

Soon hubby joins the huddle, a hand held out for a paper plate and smores. A grandson, a son and another son join us. We share memories of past marshmallow nights over the years; spent at the lake, or in the woods, or around a gas stove in the kitchen, where the biggest challenge is to smoosh the most marshmallows on a single fork. I hadn't laughed so hard in years.

It was the best football "game-night" we've ever had! I'm not sure, but I think Arizona lost the game....

~Sandy

Cold front...brrrr

2009-10-29T05:53:00.006-07:00

Brrrrrr.....Awoke this morning to chilly 30 degree temps. My flannel jammies are still packed away. It isn't Halloween yet and the swamp cooler was spinning wet air yesterday. An early start to Autumn for us Desert Dwellers for sure.

So much for a brisk morning walk. Since a hospital stay in March with chest pains, hubby and I have been doing a mile a morning. I think this morning will be an hour of dancing with the Wii. Hey! That's not all bad :)

~Sandy

Alkali and Cholesterol

2009-10-15T05:03:00.030-07:00

Cholesterol and Alkali

The Desert Southwest is cursed with hard water. That means alkali clogs pipes and drains with a chalky white substance that thickens to a crust on faucets, sinks, bath tubs and anywhere else that water runs and puddles. As a desert dweller, there isn't much you can do but scrub the outside with Comet and purge the inside with Drano. Or, purchase a permanent water softening unit, which is no small expense.

Cholesterol is a lot like Alkali. It accumulates in our veins and clogs our arteries. Unfortunately, there's no such permanent cure for Cholesterol as the electric water softener that fights alkali in water pipes. Lowering the levels of cholesterol in our veins requires a "drano" type statin drug to do the cleansing while we sleep. The alternative is a change of lifestyle, a regimen of exercise and a few starvation tactics to wean ourselves off fatty foods.

Actually, I think cholesterol is just "payback" for all the years of dinner rolls, yeast donuts, and cream pies. Too bad no one warned us back in the 60's. Now it's much like "paying for your raising when you raise your own children." I mean...if the human body wasn't meant to process all that "good stuff" why did the industy make it in the first place!

Just to test me, I think. I mean, offer up all the intoxicating delights I can eat while I'm young, then plump my veins with cholesterol when I hit sixty. Come on, that' not fair. It kinda reminds me of the photo of the old, haggard, tooth-less cowboy that made its rounds a decade ago. The caption read "If I had known I would live so long, I would've taken better care of myself." Me too.

My doctor recommends the "drano," statin drugs that clean the veins while you sleep. I'm leaning toward the "Change your lifestyle, Diet and Exercise" theory.

Excercise - I mean...we have a Wii. I like Dance Revolution. Dancing is a close cousin to running and jogging. Certainly with all my children grown and gone, I have enough free-time to dance an hour every day. Well, maybe I'll start with 15 minutes and work my way up to an hour. I'll figure it out. Excercise, I can do.

Lifestyle changes - Stop smoking....done that. Stop sedentary sitting.....hey, I'm gonna dance 15 minutes every day. What more do they want? I mean, when my kids were young they ran my legs off, I only dreamed of spare time to sit down and rest. So now, it only makes sense that I might enjoy a solitary, sedantary half hour...or two, every day.

Diet - Now that's something entirely different. Nothing is easy about this No-Cholesterol Diet! I understand that my diet is what got me here in the first place, but if you ever read that pamphlet that comes with your cholesterol statistics, you'll see what I mean. This is crazy! You'd have to eat fresh vegetables straight from the garden, fresh fruit plucked from the vine, and only breads and crackers marked 100% whole grain to keep your veins free of cholesterol. No more Chocolate cake, Buttered dinner rolls, Greasy Burgers, Deep fried french fries (or Twinkies, I might add).

You know, on second thought. I might try the Drano First.

~Sandy

A winner and Fried Spaghetti

2009-09-22T07:47:00.014-07:00

Yea! We have a winner!
Marilyn won my freebie giveaway!

Ralph Lauren Coco Palm Decorated Hand Towels!

For more details check the bottom of the page...

I have to admit, Spaghetti brought us together!

Reading Marilyn's blog, I realized she was a crafter. That's the category I always search for interesting blogs to read. I mean, crafters are interesting people. If you've ever known a crafter, you know it's true. They can make a silk purse out of a sows ear! Really! That's just how they are. Inventive, curious and darn interesting people.

Another thing that caught my attention about Marilyn's blog was that she'd posted a recipe for Fried Spaghetti. What? At first thought, that's hard to digest. I mean, I couldn't even picture it and I love spaghetti.

But she's a crafter and I know how they are, so I decided to give it a try anyway. We'd had spaghetti the night before and the left-overs were in the fridge. Hubby and visiting grandson were NOT enthused. Even after I told them that Marilyn's family loved the stuff, they were shaking their heads.

It's a quick and easy recipe that you can find at Marilyn's Blog "Aroma Fields."

http://aromafields.blogspot.com/

In no time at all we had pan fried spaghetti and Oh My! That stuff is delicious. Hubby loved it, Grandson loved it. In fact they both agreed that next time we should skip the spaghetti night entirely and have left-over night first. Fried Spaghetti! You have to try it!

~Sandy

My Dad...ahead of his time

2009-09-19T07:31:00.009-07:00

I've thought about my dad all week. On Sept 17, he would have been 95 had he not passed away in 1987. I can see him in my mind's eye just as he was. A tall, frugal man born in 1914 who spent his teens living through the depression. He worked hard all his life to support his family and squirrel away every penny that he could. He was a child of the depression. He knew what it meant to do without.

During the years after my dad retired, the city garbage dump was a regular place for him to meet a friend of his and appraise all that the wasteful and ungrateful neighbors in their community had thrown out. They hadn't locked the garbage dumps then, nor discovered that a plastic bottle could live 5 million years and the environment needed protecting from said bottles.

It was shameful and wasteful, Dad would rant when he drove home with a pick-up load of warped lumber and odd-shaped tin and rusty nails and wire and a gallon can of paint with the lid stuck shut. How could people be so wasteful. No respect for the dollar anymore.

My mom nagged him to take up a hobby (besides dump digging). She had tired of lowering her head in shame as she struggled to stay friendly with the ingrates who actually threw their garbage away.

Mom was certain that everyone knew where the ingredients for Dad's new storage shed had come. She was sure that everyone could guess that Dad had straightened the boards, soaked the rust off the nails and wire, mixed the used paint till it was the perfect shade of tan to complement the eaves on our house. It was actually stunning. A beautiful storage shed. But none of us kids would tell Mom that. She hated it.

I think that's why I was so surprised when I heard Mom telling my daughter the story of Grandpa's prized storage shed many years after his passing.

My daughter had shown Mom her brand new shoes; stylish, stunning, with all the glitz and bling only a sixteen year old could love. More importantly, with a smile of pride my daughter told mom that her brand new shoes had been recycled from a car's rubber tires. I wasn't at all sure how Mom would take that.

Mom smiled slowly, then shrugged. "Your Grandpa would love them," she said, "he was a man ahead of his time."

~Sandy

Back in the day...

2009-09-18T11:46:00.015-07:00

Back in the 80's, our local newspaper held a contest: "Columnist for a day" to provide print while the regular columnist flew off on vacation. I won!

With 4 small children I always chased bargains. And as any obedient writer would do, I wrote what I knew. Bargain Hunting. In light of today's economy, I thought it might be fun to take a look at clearance shopping in the 80's and my first writing to be published

*****************

A Bargain-Conscious Mother sees the Light!

I can no more resist a clearance sale than a mosquito can ignore plump, juicy flesh. At times, that fact ignites anger in other members of my family. They aren't all as bargain-conscious as their mom, especially where light bulbs are concerned.

My son actually started the ruckus a few days ago. "Ahh Mom," he moaned through a mouthful of potato chips. "Who took the light bulb out of my closet? I have a date and can't find anything in there."

I have to admit, it had slipped my mind. I snatched his bulb when the one in the bathroom hissed into darkness during an untoward moment of desperation the day before.

Have you ever noticed that light bulbs never sizzle and spit and die when you have a spare one lying around? Not to mention that whatever ails them is highly contagious. They never blow out one at a time. I mean, we're a family of six. Three of us have yet to outgrow temper tantrums (NO! I'm not telling which three.) So, how many safe places can there be to hide pear shaped, egg-shell glass?

Still...determined to stave off buying any new bulbs until Wal-mart runs the four-for-a-dollar sale, I'm reminded of the seldom-used bulb in the hall. Seldom used? It's Never used. I mean, it could be sprouting green stuff for how often we use that hall light. Perfect. I swipe the bulb and my son's closet is illuminated again. I couldn't understand the urgency anyway, I mean, don't fluorescent shirts glow in the dark?

"There," I dusted my hands as I smiled, quite pleased with myself. Dollar Days were just around the corner.

"Hon..." hubby shouted, "the pilot light has gone out on the furnace, what's wrong with the light switch in the hall?"

My jaw dropped. Then I scurried from my son's closet to retrieve his former bulb from the bathroom so I could shed light on the hall while hubby worked on the furnace. "Whew!" I can make it. This is Monday. The sale starts Wednesday.

"Mom!" my daughter is shrieking from the bathroom. I finished her shrill cry..."I know! I know! the bulb burned out. I'm coming." This called for strategy.

Let me think. There were 2 bulbs over the kitchen sink. No one needs that much light to scrape crusted egg off Safeway china. (Yea, the Ironstone collection with palm trees in the center.) I scrambled up on a chair, smothered the hot ball of light with a cup towel (a freebie from a new box of Ivory Snow. Pretty daisies on the hemmed edge). The bathroom is lit again. No big deal.

"Mom!"

My lips form an angry but determined O. Action was needed in my daughter's room. I could hear it in her voice. But I was ready...

Two lamps in the living room. In the farthest corner away from the television set lurked a liv e bulb. No one ever sat there anyway, except the cat. And she did very little reading. With that bulb installed in my daughter's room, I sighed and wondered why that darn sale couldn't have started a few days earlier. But of course, I reminded myself, I hadn't needed light bulbs yesterday.

"Mom!"

I froze! Assessing the situation. My closet's bulb is in the hall. The hall's bulb is in my son's closet. The kitchen bulb is in my daughter's room--or was it the bathroom? The living room bulb is in the.....

"Mom!"

I slipped my coat off the hook near the door and shrugged into it before I sidled toward the front door.

"Where do you think you're going?" my hubby growled.
"To Circle K," I answered. "For Candles."

~Sandy

Fall is coming...

2009-09-14T08:29:00.027-07:00

The Life of my Amaryllis + a quick peek at a Geranium. I love geraniums, especially the pretty pink ones!

Fall is coming, I feel it in the air when I wake up in the morning. A crisp chill where there had been sweltering 90 degree temps. Still, I miss summer already. The green plants and brightly colored fruits and flowers and vegetables. Our tomato plants no longer bloom, the Zucchini plant is weeping like a willow. I'm saying "hello" to leaf rakes and trash bags and " goodbye" to long days of summer and homegrown salads with "special" flavor.

A few photo reminders of how it was only a month ago.

My son's back yard - A bountiful Harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, okra, green beans, and herbs of every variety. With a 3' wide Vegetable and Herb and Flower garden around the entire circumference of his backyard, it was a garden of Eden.

One of my Sweet Geraniums

A Desert Cactus bloomed pretty this summer despite a slow monsoon season!

Another cactus with lots of white blooms and a story to tell!

This one is quite unusual actually. It was a single little clump of prickly stickers in a 4" pot when our children delivered it as a present for our 16th wedding anniversary. They saved their money and picked it out all by themselves at the grocery store. When they delivered it, a ribbon cinched around its middle, I was so surprsed.
Last June, hubby and I celebrated our 44th anniversary. That little cactus has grown quite huge in the last 28 years! Those 4 children are grown now too, with kids of their own. And this sentimental cactus now squats in a corner of the front yard.

This new squash plant grew up and afforded many loaves of warm zucchini bread this year!

~ Sandy

Feedback...

2009-09-06T08:43:00.017-07:00

Feedback: Great Seller. Great Transaction. Fast Shipping. Thank you!

Well, that's not always what happens after the transaction is over. It's the idyllic conclusion to an online sell but not guaranteed. Many things can happen to keep shared feedback from being a pleasant experience: a flaw unseen or unnoticed by the seller, a discrepancy in color due to monitors or camera lighting, slow delivery due to postal service or holiday or just plain ole lazy seller. Lots of things can prevent a POSITIVE Feedback on both sides of the sell. Both Buyers and Sellers make mistakes.

The sale isn't over until both parties have had their expectations met by the sale. The seller receives funds due, the buyer receives merchandise as described. The first thing I do after receiving a complaint, is take a deep breath, pull on my "thick skin" and listen.

It's always easier to whip out the mouse and fire off a Negative as soon as I feel accused. But when blazing emails are flying back and forth filled with nasty accusations, it's difficult to reach a conclusion and find an equitable solution. So catch your breath, read the other persons email very carefully. Really listen to what's said and what's 'between the lines.'

Sometimes it just doesn't matter who's right or wrong.

[[ ME: "Yes, I did send a delivery confirmation to prove it was shipped."]]
[[ HER: I don't care! It's still your fault that I didn't receive it.]]

We both learned later that the package was accepted by her next door-neighbor's son, who tossed the item into a basket near the umbrella stand at the front door. And there it waited for 3 weeks.

Things happen! It wasn't her fault, it wasn't my fault! Things just happen. Hold back the angry emails until you've tried all that you can to speak with the seller or buyer and reach an agreeable conclusion that is satisfactory for both of you.

Then leave the feedback that really says!
Positive Feedback: Great Communication! Thank you!

~Sandy

No Winner Yet!

2009-09-06T06:54:00.010-07:00

NO Winner Yet! "Follow MY Blog Contest"

1 set of Custom Made Ralph Lauren Accent shams 16" (your choice) or
1 set of Custom Decorated Hand Towels
from any of my online stores!
See all Online stores in right column

Thanks for visiting,

~Sandy

Seller got ya blocked?

2009-09-06T06:31:00.013-07:00

Have you tried to purchase from an Ebay seller and found access to their items denied? Blocking buyers is a little known safety valve for a seller being harassed and tormented by a disgruntled buyer. The problem with the system, I believe, is that the lists of obnoxious customers are often circulated among sellers without verification.

I admit I have my only little list of "banned buyers," but I've never added a single one from the list of someone else. What I find offensive - might not be offensive to someone else; Likewise, something that sends me into a melt-down might not bother another seller at all. Personality conflicts happen, even through e-mail. No, I won't ban a customer because of another seller's issue with them. And after 8 years of selling, my list of banned buyers is very very short. I believe that almost anything can be worked-out in a respectful manner: Offer a partial refund, a discount off their next purchase, or replace the item entirely. I've learned from experience there is always a compatible solution if you communicate with each other.

Here are a few things that WILL get you banned from a favorite seller!
And believe me, they happen!

1. Destroying an item before you mail it back for a refund because you bought the wrong color.

2. Receive the item, leave "good" feedback, then do a chargeback on your credit card for a refund (claiming your 3 year old actually made the purchase)!

3. Refusing to pay until 1 hour before the 30 day notice ends.

4. Send argumentative, demanding emails every hour until your item is received.

5. Leave a Negative feedback because drapes were green instead of blue, which was stated in auction title, auction description and in email when you requested confirmation of the color.

~Sandy

Ralph Lauren Fabric

2009-09-04T06:00:00.007-07:00

Ralph Lauren Bedding Collection Fabrics!

I just received some new fabric from Ralph Lauren for my custom shams; Cote D'Azur, Palm Harbor, Home Lake! All gorgeous fabric and lovely collections...

I often receive requests from customers to purchase Ralph Lauren fabric "by the yard" from his elegant bedding collections. I rarely list fabric, especially larger pieces of fabric.

Fabric for Ralph Lauren's bedding collections is produced for manufacturing only and not retail sales. You won't find a piece of fabric to match your bed linens in a "by the yard" fabric store. Ralph Lauren doesn't sell fabric from those collections in that manner.

Ralph Lauren fabrics by the yard can be found at nicer fabric stores. But these fabrics are heavier-weight, drapery fabric. You might find a complement to your bedding collection; a contrasting color or pattern, but you won't find the exact match to a duvet or sheet set in a fabric shop.

Since I purchase factory remnants, I receive the exact same fabric as the bed linens. Any items sewn by me will be an exact match to your collection!

I've been selling Ralph Lauren (and other designer) fabric shams for 8 years. I'm familiar with many vintage patterns and get requests weekly to identify an older collection or pattern. My photo collection of vintage Ralph Lauren fabric is quite extensive. If you need a name or description of an older fabric, feel free to drop me an email!

~Sandy

To Tweet or not to Tweet

2009-08-24T08:56:00.009-07:00

I'm giving it a try but not entirely convinced it's a necessity yet. Or, if it is..........for what?

Sometimes I wonder what's wrong with me. I have this "thing" about new gadgets. Whether it be the light bulb guaranteed to glow for 12 years or a row of apps on the side panel of my computer. If it's a new gadget, I have to try it. And if it's a "Bombshell" break-through in technology, I'm certain it will be something I can't live without.

It's a running joke in our family. If you don't know what to get Mom for Christmas, watch a couple infomercials. Choose the one that promises the most outlandish results. That's her gift!

I haven't given up on twitter yet, though. I'll give it a fair hearing. I'm not real keen on having one-liners flying at me with such speed that I can hardly read them all, much less know what they are shouting about. At first I thought it might only be because of the subject I entered in search. I tried other words, other things, other searches. I still found no conversation that tugged me to join in. And...is it just me, or doesn't it seem like there's a whole lot of "advertising" going on in all those flying words?

I have to admit, since everyone else was doing it, I did send out a couple tweets with useless words advertising my online stores like; Ralph Lauren fabric shams I just made, and Wamsutta Panels I just listed, and the crushed voile sheers I have in such a wonderful variety of colors...and I might have mentioned the Spongebob drapes for the little boys and the Princess shower curtains for the girly-girls.

Wait....did I just answer my own question. I think I've found an acute 'need' for twitter. Maybe I will keep it awhile.

~Sandy

The Wii

2009-08-21T06:38:00.017-07:00

Even when you're 60'ish, a fun thing to do is anything with the Wii!

Our family is no stranger to gaming; 4 Grown children who "aced" Mario and Pac-Man in their youth, 8 grandchildren with long resumes in Roller Coaster Tycoon and Halo. I've danced away a pound or two with X-Box Dance Revolution and hubby has hunted big game in Africa and fished from the banks of the Amazon.

But the Wii...Oh my! I love the Wii! Of course we bowl, like all those elders from any respectable nursing home, but it's more than bowling. Not to sound like a paid ad, but the Wii is the best gaming system for all ages.

And if you have adult children, you know how they feel about parents. They have no desire to play with their parents in public or private. Don't bother them unless it's Christmas, Thanksgiving, or a family member's visit from out of state. They're there for Medical Emergencies, but play-time is spent with their friends.

We accidentally started a Wii "family party night" when the kids (I know, I know they are young adults... but to me...they're kids) were invited to see our new toy and judge if it's age-appropriate for us. When hubby whipped them all at 100-pin bowling, they were back the next week without invitation. No way would they allow that win to stand!

Now, they don't call to verify date and time. They're here before the remotes are handed out. One good thing about playing with adult kiddos is you never hear, "but Mom, his nun-chuck cover is blue and I want the blue one!"
Thank God!

~Sandy