Discovering Gold in a Garage Sale

This afternoon was an awesome afternoon! I am all smiles whilst typing this entry and that’s how awesome it was.

We held a garage sale at my house along with my Development Communication group mates to raise funds for our project for Pook Libis – the community which we will be offering our Service Learning to.

Joyce already gave me a few blouses to sell before Christmas break and for my contribution I scavenged my closet for blouses that haven’t been used for quite some time and got my reader digest condensed books which I bought at a book sale, scavenged Bea’s stuff too. Well for two bear stuffed toys which she wouldn’t miss because it has been stored at the top of our closet for years. I also threw in three heels which were all given to me because trust me I wouldn’t spend for heels -my feet and my style advice me against it. I also threw in perfumes given to me as gifts whose scents aren’t my taste at all. The only scent I appreciate by far is the white musk scent of any brand of perfume. Speaking of that scent my French professor wears the same scent. I know because I’m seated at the front of our class and he usually brings lots of stuff to class – his home cooked lunch, mint drink, canned goods imported from France and one time his perfume was lying there and I told him it was the same as mine. He just looked at me.

Going back to the garage sale, Riza and Yanna arrived at lunch time and Yanna was equipped with cute bracelets which she seldom used and contemporary books. One book was titled, “Mga Kwento ng Puso” and when we teased her about it she defensively said it was for her Creative Writing class. I bought a printed skirt from the clothes Riza bought priced at 20php and it was not bad at all.

I was going upstairs to get some money and Tita Beau asked if we were just exchanging stuff. I said that we are the number one customers of our own garage sale. Actually Riza is the number one customer because most of the pretty stuff Yanna brought was sold to her as in two charmed bracelets, a new brown Hang Ten purse with a navy blue little ribbon and the new fake Mac eye shadow set which were all gifts to Yanna which she said she will not be using.

Maan arrived later on and brought clothes too while we were entertaining some of the few customers who passed by. Because all of our stuff are for females we couldn’t accommodate what the tri-bike drivers and other men who passed by were looking which are men’s wear. We promised them we would have on Friday afternoon.

When Erica arrived from school after we already packed up after three hours of marketing, I told her to take a look at the container of unsold bracelets and surprisingly she liked one – a colorful crystal gartered bracelet and it was sold for 20php. Wylo my 2nd grade niece surprisingly was interested in the crystal dog keychain originally priced at 20php but I sold it to her for half the price.

Wylo was really happy about the keychain that she still kept looking at the other unsold bracelets. I thought she was just admiring them but to my surprise once my classmates went home and I put all unsold stuff in my room with Erica and Wylo’s help and I was already doing homework, Wylo went in my room and casually lifted some unsold books from the container of the unsold bracelet and was expressing interest in a black bracelet with a silver key and asked me how much it was, I said it was 20php and asked if she had money. Surprisingly she had and immediately handed me two ten peso coins. I was surprised and thanked her for contributing to our funds. She was still observing the container and asked me how much the crystal lizard keychain was and I said I wasn’t sure if its 20php and checked our price list but I told her I’d give it to her for 10php. She gave me the 10 and eventually gave me another 5php. I told her it’s okay she can keep the 5php because she might not have any money anymore and I even clarified if it was her own money to which she affirmed. I was giving her the 5php back and said that she should keep it in case she’d be interested in the next batch of stuff we would be selling on Friday. She gently pushed my hand with the 5php coin back and it was just a sweet gesture.

It was great experience raising 445php in 3 hours. You learn promotion, sales talk, what people want and don’t want and you get to discover people who are willing to help.

Law of Attraction in Action

It was a frightening feeling. A feeling you want to be rid off as soon as you’re feeling it because who wants to be scared? It's not exactly a good feeling to bathe in. Yet the feeling stubbornly remains and for a quite a while too. It’s programmed to be there to incite something in us. Maybe courage. Maybe a stronger will. Following that ideal direction and up to what extent is up to us.

I said I wouldn't and couldn't. But there I was smack in the middle of it.

I said I wouldn't ride any ride I wasn't comfortable riding on. I was thinking of riding a Merry Go Round once or thrice. I said I would just serve as the documenter but there I was falling prey to peer pressure. They insisted I purchase the ride all you can ticket since it was my very first time to go to Enchanted Kingdom. In attempt to not be viewed as pedantic I gave in.

The second ride we were lining up for was called Anchors Away and all I could think of were the recounts of people's scary experiences about it playing in my head while looking at the ship shaped ride which swayed from side to side. I didn't want to annoy my companions with my fear but I couldn't help to verbally babble things as the internal battle going on in my head every second as we drew near our turn could not be resolved. I told them I couldn't do it but they thought otherwise. I was breathing heavily already but I found hope  in the ounce of excitement I was feeling. There's something very liberating at getting to try something you are very scared and hesitant of especially if you know it would serve as a milestone.

As our turn drew came I noticed I was shaking. Jhobs sat beside me and we chose to sit at the middle part but as soon as we sat my fear got the best of me and I was thinking I could still back out. I could still back out. My fear took a toll on me and I barfed a little bit on my lap right before the cue for start went on so Jhobs immediately assisted me to the exit and bought me water and we sat on the benches. The rest of our friends went ahead without us. I was very thankful to Jhobs for being such a helpful friend that time.

After that ride the rest of our friends wanted to try the Space Shuttle but because Jhobs and I didn't feel like riding it and because I was just in the process of calming myself we had a go at the bump cars. The fact that a bunch of kids and preteens were the ones lined up who were from a single school didn't bother us. After spending a few minutes of strolling around the amusement park I told Jhobs we should try the Anchors Away again.

I owed it to myself. I owed it to Jhobs who excitedly wants to have a go at it because it isn't her first time to. I didn't want to feel like a loser who lost to myself. I had been practicing the law of attraction and I wanted to prove the law to myself and to other people. I wanted to become what I thought about. I was thinking of being courageous and I wanted that very instant for courage to be manifested.

Before I knew it Jhobs and I were lining up again and we sat in the very place we sat earlier on. There was a kid sitting in front of me who was crying and was being comforted by her teacher. I was amazed at her because although she was scared she didn't try to get off.

When the cue for start went on I had my game face on. Jhobs told me to keep my arms in the air for maximum enjoyment. Besides enjoyment keeping it up in the air tricked my senses into feeling very confident because when I did try putting it on the sides of my legs and I felt my body heavily shaking.  I kept it in the air, swayed my arms hands and even my upper torso whilst shouting every time the ship-like-ride was moving from the highest point to the lowest.

I saw the crying kid was then laughing and her shift of emotions mirrored my initial sentiments. True there was one point it was dizzying and I was thinking, "Tell me this is over. It's probably over. Please Lord let it be over already." but when the pace of the ride was beginning to slow, I knew it would soon be over.

Jhobs and I who were both carrying DSLRs immediately took photos of each other right after for proof that we rode it. I was teary eyed in the photo but I was smiling. I was proud of myself and man did it feel good to get out of one's shell and conquer a fear no matter how little it may seem.

Creative Kicks

These are pictures of the homemade planner I gave to my friend MJ.

Back in November she saw the few pages of a homemade black and pink planner I made myself and found it cute so she asked me if I could make one for her too and said she was willing to pay for the materials and the labor. I mentioned a price which to my surprise she didn't mind at all and she even told me said she'd like to receive it before the new year. Actually I gave it to her on the second of January. I went to their house which was near our street and personally delivered it to her and was received by her Lolo who engaged me in a witty conversation. When MJ came out I handed the planner to her and I told her "You're not allowed to pay for it."

The mere fact that she appreciated something which I did for creative kicks was fulfilling enough. Later on that day in an thoughtful act of appreciation she delivered cute kitchen utensils from a Japanese Store to my house.

Good one Lola

Coming home from our usual Sunday lunch-grocery with our dad, we came home to Wylo wearing this. She's wearing what would be her homework for the next day which is supposedly a homemade mask. Lola in an attempt to exert little effort but maximum hopes of high grades cut holes on the bumble bee made of felt paper which was formerly a design attached to the walls of their room. Bea and I burst out laughing upon seeing it and because of that Lola said Bea should make a new one  instead because she knew nothing of making masks. Bea went around to doing a butterfly design mask with glitters which Wylo wasn't at all embarrassed about.