I feel gooood! Like I knew I could...

Hello Folks!

How do YOU feel today? I feel great! Why? You see, I am one of the most blessed persons on the Internet today. Hows come, you ask? Did I win the lottery? NO! I'm blessed with great friends,a wonderful, loving family, and a HOUSE!A real, honest to goodness house. NOT that dreary, stinky, old apartment building.

So, today, I want to show you my home, and some of my other stuff I'm blessed with; as well as introduce you to a few of my friends. I belong to a great group on Yahoo. It's called "Onlinebusinesssuccess" or, OBS for short. If you go to eBay and type in OBS, you'll find some of my friends products will come up.

Speaking of eBay, were going to have an auction! We changed our eBay seller ID to JimmyorShell...we wanted to make it easier to remember. Now, to the auction. I found a piece of EAPG ( Early American Pattern Glass) and I'm going to auction it off. Here is a link to our blog. It tells all: http://jimmyandmarshell.blogspot.com/.

Now, my friends, I have set up my pics in photobucket. I made you all a slide show ...you'll see things that make me happy. There Jimmy on the porch, my flowers,OK go look!

You all know I love to take pictures. So as your looking through my pic, notice the ones that are marked ZAZZLE...

Zazzle is a place where you can take your art and put it on shirts, hats...all kinds of "stuff" and sell it on the site. They (Zazzle) does the work for you, and you make commissions. Follow the click able link to see my store; you can find out more there.

As I said, I'm blessed with many friends. I want to mention two of those friends now...Dar, The Glass Guru...take a bow! You deserve it. This woman is one of the most giving persons on the face of this earth, and yes, I am Blessed to have her as a friend.

The second blessing in my life is a lady by the name of Beth Cherkowsky. Now, let me tell you what a blessing this lady has been ,and is to me. She invited me into her fold ( group). I owe my life today to her. I was floating around the Internet; now, because of Beth, and all my friends on OBS, I am grounded. I know where I'm going and how I intend to get there. My friend Beth won a website. It's set up, and she is in the process of filling it with all kinds of eye candy...Antique Daze will be the place to shop, so, go look!

Now, I have a challenge for you...what do you consider a blessing(s) in your life? Can you name one thing? Or several? Can you post one blessing in your life here? Come on folks! You know you want to feel as good as I do!

Have a great day and many blessings,

Shell

Bra Fitting...

I broke down yesterday and had an official BRA FITTING.

As I tried to explain to my husband last night --- if you were a man --- this means that another man would be having you try on various underwear and then keep reminding you that you need to bring your "boys" to the front.

After that --- the man would stand there and point out the various flaws the underwear revealed...

After five minutes of this....you are very aware of why you never wanted to have this done and why it took you so long to decide that you would.

The reason why....through most of yesterday I had on the BRA FROM H*LL. This is the one bra most women have that you don't wear unless you just completely forgot to wash the others and it was either it or go without (which would not have been pretty....).

I am convinced that in a former life - this particular bra was used as a torture device. The middle section jabs into you as if trying to induce a heart attack. The underwire....did its best to cut off my ability to get a full breath of air into my lungs and the straps dug into my shoulders so hard...there are still marks today....

Yep, I was in need of some new bras and worse...a bra fitting before I made another stupid mistake like last time (let's just say....someone on EBay ended up with a very expensive Lane Bryant bra that I brought home and after wearing the other one that I bought that same day...never even took the price tags off (of the second one) of.

The Bra Fitting place I ended up at --- actually specializes in bras for women that have had mastectomies, BUT also helps women who are hard to fit, whether full-figured or even too small to find a decent size. They also had a lot of really nice sleepwear, (featuring "Save The Ta-Tas" in hot pink) scarves, wigs, and shirts.

I'm hoping this place is doing really well...because I was thinking if I had to go through all that a breast cancer survivor has to --- this is where I would want to come.

So - I made it through my bra fitting and next week two nice new bras will be arriving and I can cross off another line from my "things I must do for myself this year" list.

How about you? When is the last time you had a bra fitting? If you haven't - grit your teeth, and resolve you are going to give it a try. You won't LIKE it, but I promise you will be more than happy with the results!

WOOHOO - Cat's on her way!!

WOOHOO!!! OUR CAT is on her way as a writer!! She'll be along soon to talk about it I"m sure!! but I stole the picture and ran over here. LOL!

GOOD JOB CAT!! Hopefully it's just the first of many and fame and fortune will start rolling in!

Come One, Come All to the eBay Radio Party in Las Vegas, June 24-25, 2009

Attention, eBayers! Bummed out because there's no eBay Live! 2009? 

Let us ease your withdrawal pains!

Coming up on June 24-25, 2009, is the eBay Radio Party at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in vivid Las Vegas. Why? To celebrate the 6th anniversary of eBay Radio, and to give all of us eBay Radio fans and groupies a chance to get together to meet, greet, network, learn, and grow our eBay businesses!

The festivities will include 2-3 hours each day of live eBay Radio broadcasts with cohosts Jim "Griff" Griffith and Lee Mirabal along with presentations by:

* Marsha Collier - author of eBay For Dummies and coolebaytips.com - "eBay Sales Tips & Strategies"

* Lynn Dralle - The Queen of Auctions - "Sourcing Products At Garage Sales"

* Janelle Elms - Visionaire of the Online Success Institute and the OSI Rock Stars - "How To Set Up 

An eBay Store"

* Melinda Jackson - Assistant Organizer of the Dallas eBaybes & eMales - "How To Start An eBay 

Sellers Group"

* Carolyn "CJ" Jacinto - Certified eBay Business Consultant, eBay Education Specialist, eBay Trading Assistant, and Stellar Seller - "Packing & Shipping"

* Debbie Levitt - President of AsWas, eBay Certified Service Provider, eBay Stores Certified Designer, and eBay Education Specialist - "Growing Your eBay Business With Marketing, Strategy, & Software"

* Jason "PayPal Jason" Miner - Community Education Specialist and Host of PayPal Radio

* Cindy Shebley - author of Easy Auction Photography, Certified eBay Business Consultant, and eBay Education Specialist - "Photography for eBay"

* Ian Aronovich - President of GovernmentAuctions.org - "Product Sourcing at Government Auctions"

And eBay Manager of Community Input Garnor Morantes will be there, along with some eBay colleagues, all of whom will be available for a Q&A panel.

We also be playing eBay Scrambulous and Speed eBaying, and there will be prizes for the best eBay outfit(s), longest term eBayer, newest eBayer, and furthest distance traveled. And let's not forget the Griff & Lee Sound-Alike Contest, complete with on-air auditions!

You can sign up for the party at http://www.wsradio.com/vegas. That gets you on the mailing list, and there's a link from there to register at http://www.brainfoodradio.com/vegas. Registration is just $50 from now through April $30, then it goes up to $60 from May 1-31, and it's $70 after May 31. Cancellations will be refundable up until June 1.

The sign-up page at wsradio.com/vegas also has a link for hotel reservations at the Rio — only $69/night for a Deluxe or Premium 2-room suite (depending on whether you want a mountain view or a Strip view) including up to 3 days before and 3 days after the event! Or you can call toll-free for reservations: 888-746-6955, group code SREBAY9.

We've got more than 270 names on the sign-up list with more than 100 people registered so far, and we plan to cap the event at 250. So register today to ensure your space, and get your hotel reservations now so you can take advantage of the cheap group rate. 

To find out more, keep listening to eBay Radio (http://www.wsradio.com/ebayradio). You can listen live —Tuesdays from 11am-2pm PDT, Thursdays from 3-5pm PDT — or via the archives 24/7, or tune in as a podcast anytime. 

Hope to see you in Vegas...and bring your eBay party spirit!

Facebook, Twitter and Blogging...OH MY!

And...let's not forget radio shows and webinars!

How do you keep up with all of it?

Today I printed out a weekly calendar for next week...stared at it for about ten minutes and then stuck it up on my bulletin board to deal with later.

"They" say...you need to "get out there". Hit the social network...make yourself into a brand name...see the brand...be the brand....

but....how do you do it all?

How do you keep up with all the blogs you end up creating. There's the one to help you sell things for you EBay or online business....then there the one that you create because "they" tell you've got to get your name out there....then there is the one or two you do for fun. I, personally do one for photos each day www.365daysingeorgia.wordpress.com , but others I know keep up with their grand kids, their crafts, their lives....

Then we have Facebook....articles I've read --- say you MUST, MUST, MUST participate in at least SOME of those pesky applications people send to you. Collect Easter eggs, find out what kind of Diva you are....or just 'poke' someone....GOTTA do it though...it's all about networking...

I haven't even mentioned Twitter yet. The new phenomenon (wow...I spelled it right on the first try!) to hit the internet... 140 characters...and WHAT IS ON YOUR MIND....as of today even the mighty OPRAH is doing it!

Now you're blogging, tweeting and poking people....or you're at least suppose to be....but
I'm having a hard time keeping up with it all. Five blogs (Ebay, Writing, Photography, one I use a writing portfolio, a personal one I've been playing with...and oh...this one....so actually SIX blogs). AND you're also running your online business....maybe even doing radio shows or being interviewed on one yourself...

SO....my question for all of you on this Friday after a long, somewhat unproductive week for me...

HOW DO YOU DO IT???

How do you blog, tweet, poke, talk, listen and STILL get the primary aspects of your business done?

Inquiring mines want to know! Really...we do!!!!

Until next time....(or whenever I realize it's my turn to blog here again....HA-HA)

No eBay Live but we Know how to Party!

John Donahoe in his Ivory eBay Tower has cancelled eBay Live for 2009 but some folks know how to party and don't need Live as an excuse. So with backing/sponsorship from www.WsRadio.com, Brainfood Syndication and Voicemarketing.com (the radio companies that produce eBay Radio and more on wsradio.com) and the leadership of Lee Mirabal (Griff's self-styled "Long Suffering Co-host) and eBay radio associate editor and eBay personality eBetsy, there's gonna be a party!

The "organizing team" of Lee and eBetsy have arranged very reasonably priced rooms at the Rio Hotel ($69 a might for a 2 room suite) and are lining up "presenters" now (so that makes this an educational expense for your business according to my accounting principles...and there for DEDUCTIBLE? Check with YOUR tax professionals for the final word but I'm writing it off if I can convince hubby to go).

THIS just in from eBetsy -
You know the dates -- June 24-25 -- and of course you know our destination: Las Vegas! We sign the contract for the Rio hotel on Friday. Now it's time to show us the money, please, by registering @ http://www.brainfoodradio.com/vegas. We'll be capping this event at 250 attendees, and it is strictly first come, first served.

Here's the link, again, to register - www.brainfoodradio.com/vegas!. Registration is a mere $50 (ebay live last year was $75 and went up after May 1,2008 so you're getting a bargain this year!)

Here's the directions included in the announcement email -

URGENT! IMPORTANT NOTES!!
1. Register NOW to reserve your space!We will cap this event at 250 attendees.2. Please include your User ID in the Instructions note on the PayPal payment page.And if you register under your business name, please be sure to give us your real name too, in the Instructions note on the payment page.
3. If you plan to register but haven't signed up yet, please add your name to the sign-up page @ www.wsradio.com/vegas!

We want to add your email address to our newsletter mailing list.

4. Names on landing page:

With your permission, I am posting your name on the list on the web...if you wish to remain anonymous on the list with just your first name...please let me know by emailing me email Lee


Here's the list of presenters:

Presenters
Marsha Collier (author of eBay For Dummies,coolebaytips.com)"eBay Sales Tips & Strategies"

Lynn Dralle (The Queen of Auctions) "Product Sourcing at Garage Sales"

Janelle Elms (Visionaire of the Online Success Institute, OSI Rock Stars) "

Setting Up an eBay Store"Carolyn "C.J." Jacinto (eBay Certified Business Consultant/ eBay Education Specialist, Trading Assistant, and Stellar Seller)

"Packing and Shipping"Melinda Jackson (Assistant Organizer, Dallas, eBaybes & eMales) galleriagifts on ebay

"Starting an eBay Sellers Group" Debbie Levitt (AsWas.com) "How To Select a 3rd Party Provider"

Cindy Shebley (eBay Certified Business Consultant/eBay Education Specialist and author of Easy Auction Photography) "Photography for eBay"

Ian Aronovich (President ofGovernmentAuctions.org)"Product Sourcing at Govt. Auctions"

AND
There's bound to be parties galore, there's games, contest and recognition for your efforts to get there.. See here> "EBAY SCRAMBULOUS" - first day icebreaker, just like Scrabble except that you have to interact with your fellow eBayers to form a word (we'll have prizes for the longest word and the most creative word)

"SPEED EBAYING" (just like speed dating, except you get to network with your fellow eBay sellers for a few timed minutes)
GRIFF & LEE SOUND-ALIKE CONTEST WITH ON-AIR AUDITIONS
BEST EBAY OUTFIT(S)
LONGEST DISTANCE TRAVELED TO EVENT
NEWEST EBAY MEMBER/LONGEST TERM EBAY MEMBER

SO? Why are you still here? GO REGISTER!! www.brainfoodradio.com/vegas!. If you go there and sign up they'll send you the same informative email I got.

Kat AKA Nona - went to Court Today and Look what happened

Lawyers should never ask a Mississippi grandma a question if they aren't prepared for the answer.

In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know me?'

She responded, 'Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you'll never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.'

The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?'

She again replied, ' Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.'

The defense attorney nearly died.

The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, 'If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you both to the electric chair.'

Rant about buyers; eBay ones in particular!

Yep...I'm complaining about you BUYERS! Why would I complain about BUYERS???? That's my business, right? I mean, if it wasn't for you buyers, I'd have no business...right?

Well, I'm here to tell you a few home truths about selling online; especially eBay. I'm talking to and about buyers in particular. Why? OK, you asked!

The number one gripe I, and any other red blooded seller online have, is you do not read! Please, please, PLEASE!!!!! Read the whole, entire page...auction, advertisement; I don't care if it's for underwear...READ it!

Why? Soooo glad you asked! Because EVERYTHING you need to know about this item is IN THERE!! Need it sent overnight? Read the listing. Do you see where it says Shipping? Hmmmm! I'll just bet it tells you whether the seller can send it overnight. Need a size 60? Well, if you read the description, I bet ya it'll tell you what size(s) they have to offer.

Why am I ranting about reading the listing? Have you ever bought something and found out afterword that the seller can't send to Cambodia? BUT WHY? You scream in an email! I saw international...the problem was you did not read it ALL!

If you had read the listing, you would know if Aunt Myrtle could use it. If you had read the listing, you would have saw that the item had free shipping in the USA and Canada...not Great Britain!

Speaking of shipping and buyers: have YOU mailed any packages lately? What did it cost YOU?

My point is, we do not make the postal rules or set their prices...we just follow them. If it says 6.95 to go to Timbuktu...we'll be charging 6.95... And, when we state that we send out our packages within 24 hours of payment, that means we ship by then, IT DOES NOT MEAN you get it in 24 hours! I have heard so many folks complain about getting dinged on their5 stars just because their buyer was mad because their package was "late". What they call late is the Post Office's fault, not ours...the shipping star is for our time of shipping. Like mine, I say 5 business days. So, if I send it the day you bought it, but it does not get to you for 10 days? I should get my star! Why? Well, because I shipped well within my stated date. Go by the date it was taken to the PO...

This leads me to fees...now, folks, I hate to tell you this, but we are a BUSINESS! Yes, a real, honest to goodness BUSINESS...and we have overhead...just like any business. We have the typical sellers fees, (which, like everything else, has gone up), and then we have the costs incurred by buying, housing, packaging; (peanuts, bubble wrap, cotton candy...oops, paper, envelopes, note cards), sometimes insuring.

At times we need an item to be inspected, others need to be appraised. There are the fees for the Internet, electric, gasoline ( what, you think we walk the mile to the PO?), bookkeeping, helpers, listing on all venues...I could go on and on...

My point is this: I have heard buyers lamenting we are ripping them off. These folks accuse us sellers all the time of upping our shipping costs. You accuse us of leading you astray in our ads/listings. But, if you would just sit down and read the listing completely, you might see that the shipping fee you see at the top of the listing might be for 2 day or overnight. Not to mention, you can send us a question about any listing we have.

My last, and final point, is WE are human beings. With thoughts, feelings, and needs, just like you. We make mistakes, just like you. We get sick, just like you. So, would you want someone to judge you without them having all the info first? Then please, do not judge us!

I have read that people are now considering eBay sellers as the scum of the earth...nothing could be farther from the TRUTH! I know, I, and a lot of my friends, sell on eBay, or have. We are not scum, we are hard working human beings with a business that most of you take for granted!

Now, if you want to meet some very nice eBay folks, and sellers in general, stop by my blog tomorrow. Why? Because tomorrow, March 23, 2009, I will begin a week long set of interviews of sellers online. http://jimmyandmarshell.blogspot.com/

Come on, are you scared? The worst part is over! I'm done ranting!:>) I'll bet you you'll meet some great folks. I have...

Marshell

Announcing the DSR Virtual Tour

We are pleased to announce that on Monday March 23, 2009 we will be kicking off our FIRST ANNUAL DSR Virtual Tour.

Each day we will be interviewing different members from our Online Business Success Group on the blogs listed below!

Please join us on our whirlwind tour! We invite you to ask questions, add comments and enjoy learning more about the wonderful members of our group!!!

The week is sure to be filled with lots of fun and excitement! We look forward to seeing your there!!!!!



http://birdhousebooks.blogspot.com/
http://therivertheranchandthebay.com/
http://darsayre-theglassguru.blogspot.com/
http://onlinesellingforfunandprofit.blogspot.com/
http://sushiboofays.blogspot.com/
http://clovercitysells.blogspot.com
http://jimmyandmarshell.blogspot.com/
http://galleriagifts.blogspot.com/

Friday the 13th and The NICE kitty!

Hello All,

Well, it's Friday the 13th and it isn't being a fun day so far. It started right before midnight last nite so someone's clocks were off a bit. Doug had put the girls out for one last bathroom call before we went to bed. When he came back in, he said "I think Cricket got sprayed by a SKUNK". By that time, she, Snickers and Doug had already gotten into the house, so now you can imagine how my kitchen and dining room are smelling...... Shall I say "P U"? Of all times, I'm surely glad my sinus's aren't working on the smelling part cause I don't smell it in the house now. Boy oh Boy, Doug sure can and he says it's about making him ill.

I'm assuming on how things happened last nite. Cricket possibly saw the skunk and thought it was a kitty cat and decided to chase it. Guess she found out that the nice kitty cat wasn't so nice. It seems that she got sprayed lightly in the face, thank goodness it wasn't any worse, but just enough for her to NOT forget that it happened. She wasn't a happy camper last nite either. So now, that part where I slept like a log last nite worked too BUT when I awoke, there was Cricket, between us on the BED. Now, I wasn't a happy camper cause I usually scoot her outta it. So now, yes, I need to clean the bed covers today. Geeze, never a dull moment when we are at the farm. From the beginning 22 1/2 years ago, we nicknamed it the three "F's". Standing for the Freeland's Funny Farm". Never a dull moment for us. I won't even get into the time when our Black Lab Shadow encountered a Porcupine. The poor thing was over two miles from the farm house and had to walk back with her hunting master......

Ok, enough drama for now. I will be getting the white vinegar out to make Crickie smell like a salad instead of an unwanted varmint........to be continued.