September 27, 2012

STAR WARS: "BAD IS GOODER"

I realized sometime last year that even at age 4, there was already a language barrier between my son and me. Simply put: He is a boy. I am a girl. He speaks sports and Star Wars. I speak sensitivity and style. (And other things, too... I'm just trying to make a point though. So go with it).

At some point, in the last year or two, he was introduced to Luke Skywalker and all things Jedi and his world changed. Instead of grilling me about how a light bulb works or a vacuum sucks up dirt, at breakfast I am challenged to a discussion of how Darth Vader got his training and why the dark side is so "dark" after all. (Or something like that. Again, I don't even understand what he's saying).

Despite intense theater training at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, short of swinging around a light saber (or "light saver" as he refers to it) and making "throw the force" sounds, I SUCK at playing Star Wars. Refer to exhibit A below. In this world of make believe, "bad is gooder," "Obi was Kenobi," and I'm a clueless Jedi Knight.

September 23, 2012

WINE TASTING WITH MOTOROLA!

As a woman who loves some vino, and loves vino with friends, I was DELIGHTED when Motorola approached me to host a night of wine tasting. Um, okaaaay! 

On Thursday, September 27th, I will be hosting a small gathering with some of my favorite friends, Los Angeles bloggers, and digital influencers to sample some delicious wines and appetizers at a very cool and hip wine bar in LA and take a look at Motorola's Photon Q,  a 4G LTE QUERTY smartphone with scratch resistant glass (perfect for busy and clutsy, wine drinking moms like me).

I'll be tweeting from the event with #flirtywithqwerty so please check in on September 27, 7-10pm PST. (You are following me on twitter, aren't you?)

So grab a glass, and let's drink! (Note: hair might even get washed for this event. Oh, yes. Exciting. Can you say #flirtywithcleanhair?!)

This is is a sponsored post. 

September 21, 2012

eBay: Top Tips from eBay's "Celebrity-Owned" Consignor!


All in favor of extra cash, say "Aye!" (AYE!)  Since becoming a member of the eBay Parent Panel, I've started to consider how much extra cash I'm sitting on and doing nothing about. What I've learned in the past 9 months is that almost anything can be sold on eBay-- like ANYTHING. However, with the exception of a few items, when it comes to clothing and fashion, for me the question has always been: SHOULD I sell it? Should I sell my favorite Parker animal print dress that I bought for $253, buuuuuuut my boyfriend thinks I look like a pirate in....?  Should I sell my Manolo Blahniks that I wore three times (maybe), but I bought for... OY. (God knows how much I bought them for). 

Well, I connected with Dana Weinrot of Celebrity-Owned. Dana is a top-selling consignor on eBay with great ideas and tips for all sellers- from beginning to experienced. 

1) How did you get started selling on eBay and what was the first item you listed?
My husband was always so enamored with eBay since its launch and believed it was such a great platform to unload personal items on. For many months, he encouraged me to try to sell just one item from my closet to see how the process worked. After many, “no, it seems like to much work and so overwhelming!” replies... i finally gave it a try.  After listing my first item, An iconic Prada nylon backpack, I truly saw the value of listing my “trash”

2) Where do you work from? How do you manage all your inventory?
I operate my business from an office. I went from my first office 8 years ago in a tiny 200 square foot space to now occupying 2500 sq ft. We use a listing tool called Blackthorn which also manages all our consignors so we know which items belong to which client.

3)  Where do most of the items you sell come from? Is there a minimum you require as far as cost of item? What about label? What would be off limits?
All the items I sell come from clients all around the country. They are all pretty much word of mouth. Friends of friends of Friends. Usually less then 6 degrees of separation.  I try to accept items that will not sell for less then $50. I tell clients most brands from Tory Burch on up are game but there are still some brands I will say no to that do not have strong resale value.  Pants, jeans, suits, evening wear and wedding gowns are my off limit items as they really are hard sells since they have usually be altered a bunch.

4) Do you ever sell an item that you can't believe someone would sell? As a lover of fashion, what would be something that you would never sell on eBay- or does anything go?  
Anything goes for me. I don’t judge and I personally don’t hang on to much of anything if I'm not using it.  Oddly enough my personal rule of thumb is that if I'm going to purchase something over $1000, it has to have resale value as I will generally sell it within 6-8 months of owning it.   Since I know the top resale brands, I tend to only buy those.... Recycling items quick keeps your closet fresh and your credit card statements subsidized... since I buy and sell frequently, I don't feel as guilty about my big ticket purchases.

5) A pair of Manolo Blahniks, in black with strappy studs (I'm going to include pic in my post). They're about 3 years old and have been worn about 3 or 4 times. Sell or not to sell... and how much?
Sell indeed! Why keep something you have not work in 3 years. Not that you have held on to them so long, resale value has decreased. That coupled with Manolo Blahnik not having top resale value anyways, you are probably only looking at a resale value of approx $150.

6) If you can't move or sell an item, what options do you offer customers?
Everything eventually sells at the right price. So I hang on to our items and keep them live in my eBay store for many many months and continue on lowering prices every couple months until you find the right customer. You never know who is looking for what and when. So it's amazing that you can have an item listed for 4 months at $150 and then all of a sudden lower it to $130 and they sell the next day. That's what keeps things exciting for me.  Seeing what other people are willing to pay for these items really keeps it fun!

7) What makes CelebrityOwned stand out more than other designer clothing/ re-sale stores on eBay?  
First, our inventory is spectacular and there is something for everyone. We have 6000 items live all at fixed prices for anyone around the world to buy at anytime. Then, our customer service is second to none! I pride my business on that as I know how important it is to respond to customers in a timely manner and make them feel like they are really be treated well. In addition, we ship right away, so customers get to enjoy their items right away.  Most customers are shocked how fast they get their items!  I truly believe this is what makes us stand out and our feedback on eBay speaks to this as well. And lastly, I believe our prices are fantastic!

8) Your top tip for new sellers or people that just want to clean their closets and make some cash is ____?
Do your_research and_know what your item is worth before you list. Always look at completed items for the same one you are listing and see what they have sold for in the past.


This is a sponsored post.

September 18, 2012

BABY BOOK

Yesterday morning, J pulled out his baby book from his book shelf.  "Why is it empty, mommy?" Speechless, I shrugged. I had no good reason for the barren pages in the baby book (aka. the requisite memory book carefully crafted by only good mothers).  It appeared that I started to fill everything out... His birthdate, weight, family statistics... even details on his first words and foods. But at 15 months, I stopped. No pictures, and no hand or foot prints.

"Can we do it now, Mommy? Can I do a footprint now?"

Luckily, he caught me in a moment of pure frazzle. School was out. I had a ton of work to do. I had very little coffee in my system. And back up adult help was hours away.

I put the baby book (with the welcome home sign my mom made still inside) on the floor. With an almost size 12 shoe and dried up ink, I could see that 5 years ago, this project would have been a lot easier.


A few minutes and lots of paper towels later, we had a size 11.5 foot representing our house.



Guess it's never too late to capture a memory... and feel like a good mommy.

September 5, 2012

I LIKE WHAT I LIKE


"I'd like the pie heated and I don't want the ice cream on top, I want it on the side, and I'd like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it, if not then no ice cream just whipped cream but only if it's real; if it's out of the can then nothing." -- 
Sally Albright, When Harry Met Sally

It's official. I am who I am. According to all things science, my brain (the prefrontal cortex, to be exact) was completely formed and developed at the age of 25... This is the part of the brain responsible for decision making, inhibiting impulses and helping to execute plans and organize behavior. Though, as a Virgo, it's safe to say my thought process has had a lifetime of being overly organized and I've never entirely allowed extreme impulses to run free (eating leftover chocolate cake, SATC Miranda-style, not withstanding). The point is, as my 36th birthday approaches next week, it's now totally safe to say, my shit is sealed. I am fully baked.

When I first saw "When Harry Met Sally" in 1989, as a 13 year old, I knew I loved the writing and I knew that someday I would HAVE to live in New York... But I didn't know that Meg Ryan's character Sally Albright and I would have that much in common.... She seemed anal. Uptight. Particular. According to Harry, she was the worst kind of high maintenance because she thinks she's low maintenance:

Sally: I don't see that.
Harry: You don't see that? Waiter, I'll begin with a house salad, but I don't want the regular dressing. I'll have the balsamic vinegar and oil, but on the side. And then the salmon with the mustard sauce, but I want the mustard sauce on the side. "On the side" is a very big thing for you.
Sally: Well, I just want it the way I want it.
Harry: I know; high maintenance.

Look, I don't think *I* am necessarily "high maintenance," (close friends and family, you may insert your laugh/eye roll here), buuuut like Sally, I do like things the way I like them. Much too my detriment (and probably those who I'm closely connected to too), I'm a perfectionist. Can it be exhausting? Yeah... Can it be aggravating? I guess... Can it ruin a perfectly good moment because I get lost in the minutia of a detail, a point, a word? Um, okay. Suuuure... BUT, I guess it's part of the package. I am who I am. Like Sally, it may take me an hour to order a sandwich, but the good news is, all that time spent getting it right will result in one happy customer. And let me tell you, a happy Jenny is a happy world.

So there's that.

The point is, while the die has been cast on the genetic, and certainly, zodiac chart fronts, I realize there is always room for improvement. In fact, this year, I'm going to focus my energy on learning to trust in the unknowns.... From how a disagreement might get resolved to how my steak will come out at a restaurant (without me practically drawing the server a diagram). I'm going to try to not over-analyze and think through every situation and let things just be.... Well, I mean, most of the time. Let's not get completely crazy here. Someone has to keep things in order.  

eBAY: Anyone Interested in $25,000 Cash?

eBay is celebrating the 100 millionth listing on a mobile device with a gigantic $25,000 sweepstakes!!!

Why: As we know, parents are constantly on-the-go between soccer practice, carpool, errands and never-ending household chores. As a member of the eBay Parent Panel, over the past several months, I've discussed how selling unused household items on eBay, is an easy way to earn extra cash to fund new items, activities or splurging on a much needed massage... However, let's face it. Time is precious. It can feel a little daunting to select items in your house, take pics, post on eBay, think about shipping, etc. etc. etc. I get it. Believe me. I get it. BUT, there's a new eBay mobile app that saves a ton of time. It allows you to snap a picture from your phone or iPad and list an item within 60 seconds. Before you leave the room your item is already accessible to millions of potential buyers worldwide.

How to enter: Anyone who lists an item between Sept. 5-14 via the eBay Mobile app is entered to win $25,000! New listers need to follow THIS EXACT LINK to get registered and download the app.

How to win: The winner will be selected by eBay and notified within 6 weeks. The money (as in $25,000 CASH!) will be deposited in the winner's PayPal account. It's a free sign up if you don't have it. Here are a few details if you're not familiar with how PP works. DETAILS.

Okay, so here's what you can try to do do win...
·         Download the app to list an item and get entered to win: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-158319-2357-1/4?mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fpages.ebay.com%2Fsellerbration
·         Want tips on how to price an item, take a great photo, ship the item without leaving home, and more? Visit the quick start guide: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-158319-2357-0/4?mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fpages.ebay.com%2Fsellerinformation%2Fhowtosell%2Fquickstartguide.html

I don't know about you, but I'm once again motivated. I have a ton of things that I bought for the summer and barely wore...plus a slew of clothes my son outgrew. Done and done! With $25,000 I'm thinking I could afford more than one massage. (Can you say week long spa vacay????) 


This is a sponsored post. I am a member of the eBay Parent Panel and am compensated for my contributions.