Why Use LastPass?

This is going to help me so much.  All those passwords.  I can't wait to try it.

YAY, I DID IT!!!!!

It started with these guys:

I did, I shipped my first International Shipment to South Africa.  Actually I did two first; I shipped my first bulky package and my first International.

I listed these heart shaped baskets on ebay and was seriously wondering if I would figure out how to package them. Then I woke the next morning to a message from a lovely lady in South Africa who would dearly love to have my baskets. Oh-oh now what….

I’m on the ‘Shipping with the boys” facebook site so I write a general question about how to do it. There are some wonderful people on this fb site that are not only willing to share their knowledge, and to walk you through the process but are also are there cheering you on.

I learned so much.  Here are a couple of the things I learned:

1. Yes, I can!!!

2. Each country has their own laws about what you can ship into their country, what size and weight your box can be, etc. 

A good USPS site explaining international shipping is:

https://www.usps.com/ship/international-how-to.htm

The following site is invaluable for info on what can be sent, size and other requirements.  (Check out Italy-I’m still trying to figure out what can be shipped in.)

http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ab_toc.htm

OK, so now I have all this info and realize my box doesn’t fit size requirements so off I go to find one that does. 

For my example, shipping to South Africa box requirements are:

From USPS website:

The surface area of the address side of the item to be mailed must be large enough to completely contain the Global Express Guaranteed Air Waybill/Shipping Invoice (shipping label), postage, endorsement, and any applicable markings. The shipping label is approximately 5.5 inches high and 9.5 inches long.

Maximum length: 46 inches

Maximum width: 35 inches

Maximum height: 46 inches

Maximum length and girth combined: 108 inches

I know what length, width and height is but what the heck is girth?  Handy dandy dictionary again:

girth

gərTH/

noun

1. 1.

   the measurement around the middle of something, esp. a person's waist.

   synonyms:

   circumference, perimeter; More
2. 2.

   a band attached to a saddle, used to secure it on a horse by being fastened around its belly.

   synonyms:

   cinch More

verb

archaic

1. 1.

   surround; encircle.

   "the four seas that girth Britain"

Girth is determined by: take the measuring tape and start at one side of the bottom measure to other end, up the side, across the top and down the other side back to the beginning of the tape measure. The number you have is the girth. 

  

Seemed overwhelming!  But I started with the first one, did the second one, third one. Marked off all that was required.  (My dear husband, Jack, was a tremendous help here-he even figured out how to compactly pack these guys with their handles and all).

Now to print out the shipping label, I seriously have no clue but I figure customs labels are going to be something really scary.   I fill up my printer with paper, triple check data I’ve entered on shipping site, and click on print postage. One page gets printed and printing stops.  I check my printer, and start worrying-something had to have gone wrong. But I look at the page that did print and it has a place for me to sign, date, etc. I print two forms which is good because the Post Office wanted a copy for their records.  My box was ok and was shipped.

Luckily the customer does the customs thing on their end so I didn't have to worry about that.

3. USPS does not want you to put your international packages in any blue mailbox. They require you to either hand it to your mailperson directly or take it to the Post Office.  They would prefer you to take it to the Post Office so they can double check your size, weight, et

I DID IT!!! Off goes my package from So Cal to South Africa.

I learned a lot!

If I can do it so can you…Go for it.

It's been about 1 1/2 months and on February 14th I get this in my inbox.  Was it worth it?  OH YEA!!!

To see my other items  click here.

2014
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Wow, what a holiday season!!! It started for me with Thanksgiving which we had at my sisters house in Ramona. Everything turned out so wonderfully. What I love about the holidays is firstly the getting together of all our loved ones, and secondly the delicious foods that each family brings in.  There are the standards, the traditional ones and then the adventurous new tries.
My dad had bought the 20 some pound Turkey that was already cooking when we arrived and filling the house with that delightful Thanksgiving aroma.  We had brought the traditional Lefse and my neice brought the Apple/pumpkin pies. Adam brought the adventurous new try in an Apple Chipoltle pie. It was a bit warm but very good. :P
When we arrived my sister asked if she had enough potatoes for the mashed potatoes,  I look and said "Ah, no!! We need at least another 10 or so more." (Even though we have the lefse we are mashed potato lovers.)  So I added at least another 10-15. My niece arrives and looks at the potatoes and adds another 15 or so.  LOL.  Time came when I was trying to figure out how to mash all those potatoes.  I was just starting this adventure when a cell phone is handed to me and I was told that my sister from Eugene was on the phone and wanted to say "Happy Thanksgiving"  And that my dear friend, is the moment my holiday changed. She said to me "Boot Cuffs-Look them up".
So when I got home I google boot cuffs and what do you know there are thousands of them everywhere I look.  Seriously what does a life long So Cal girl know about boot cuffs?  Anyway I take the bite and make a pair of boot cuffs, put them up on ebay and *poof* they are sold.  ???? OK, another pair, KA-CHING...... Now it is 2014 and all I remember from Thanksgiving to now is.....you guessed it, Boot Cuffs.
I wanted to design my own pair but seriously never had the time.  I want to give  thanks to the lady, Jenny Dickens who I got the design for the majority of my boot cuffs. You can find her pattern on Ravelry here:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/scalloped-boot-cuffs

Thank you so much Jenny!

I also made a few from this design by Mona
http://love2bloom.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/a-peek-of-cozy-boot-cuff-pattern.html

Thank you Mona!

Here are a few pics of my boot cuffs I've sold, am selling on ebay:

Yesterday I'm shopping at Michaels and I feel this lusciously soft fabulous fur from Loops and Threads so of course I had to buy some and add to my boot cuffs.
I lovingly call these  "Fuzz Heads":

 If you would like to see my boot cuffs on my ebay site, here is my link to my website which, for now, is linked to my ebay store.

www.benntique.com

Also check out benntique on Etsy, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.....

Thank you for reading this and I hope you have an incredibly awesome day.
Mary

You might get hit by a bus tomorrow so why not Just do it?

So a guy said to me in a Webinar when I expressed concern about International Shipping. He might not have said those exact words but that's what I heard. It was funny, I laughed. Yet I still find it daunting (and now on top of all my shipping concerns I worry about getting hit by a wayward bus).  I am SO going to do it, I tell myself-I was so psyched after the webinar- but then this morning I'm listing my Persian Weave Cancer Awareness Bracelet on Etsy and it asked me about shipping. Right!  ... , .....   Of course I'm remembering the bus as I stare at the page for a bit and then my hand hits only United States. Seriously, not even Canada our friendly neighbors to the north.  They recorded the webinar, I will rewatch it.

If you are interested in my stretchy persian weave Cancer Awareness Bracelets check them out here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/teaweavers

You can also check them out on my ebay store but yesterday when I went in with finished photographs and to revise the item I got hit with a category limit and it wouldn't let me make the changes.  I realize I'm new so I have to sit back and wait 30 days until I can list more.  It's Breast Cancer Awareness month and I have a shipment of pink rings.

http://www.ebay.com/usr/bennettsboutique

I have the bracelets on ebay set for 100% donation to National Breast Cancer Research, I need to figure out how to do that on Etsy.

What to post

I seriously need to visit some blogs so I can figure out how one goes about doing this blog thing.

Getting started