Aug 2010
I SUCK AT EBAY
Husband worships EBAY and has had great success in finding suits, watches, and jeans. If there was ever an item that I coveted, he would place a conservative bid on my behalf under his account name. I had never explored EBAY solo until one fine day last week. I was sitting in the camp carpool line playing on the IPAD, specifically, the EBAY app. I stumbled upon an item that I HAD TO HAVE. After failing to encrypt husband’s pay pal account (and sneak a purchase), I tried to set up an account under my email. I was blocked immediately and informed that there was an existing account under my name. Odd right? Not only did husband refuse to share his passwords, he had also used my name to set up an account, thereby blocking me entirely from joining the ranks as an EBAY shopper. I was ticked off and then decided to go undercover with a new email account. HA! I was in! Let the games begin. I was hooked and spent many late hours of the last week surfing for vintage designer costume jewelry. (Husband is out of town) With time on my hands and no need to fear his budget conscious footsteps, I discovered the perfect necklace. Suddenly, I could not imagine my future outfits without this treasure. I had to have it. Now at this point, my EBAY experience had been limited to “buy it now items”. I had never been in a bidding war and was not prepared for the challenge. My strategy was to watch the screen like a hawk, keep my fingers poised over the keyboard, and bid aggressively. For three long days, I played the game. So much for instant gratification! There was several bidders but one real opponent. It was head to head every second. At this point, it no longer was about the necklace but about winning (kind of still about the necklace). I was way above my maximum but could not stop. I was an animal. Thank god husband was not in town witnessing this out of control behavior. The seconds were ticking, the kids were watching, and suddenly, the green turned to red. I had lost and was dumbfounded. The piece that was going to define my future look was no longer. As I licked my wounds, a new email popped into my inbox. I perked up, hoping it had been a mistake? Was I the winner? No such luck! It was Husband forwarding me the outbid notice that had been sent to his email. Oops, I forgot that I had convinced him to bid in the early stages. WTF were you thinking? He demanded when he saw the sold price? I was caught red handed and had nothing to show for it. Hoping one of my loyal followers won the coveted necklace. Losing to one of you would be okay but please share some pointers in mastering EBAY.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Jul 2010
LOVE IT
I confess–I am a sucker for all things jewelry. When I stumble upon unique pieces of costume jewelry, I have no self control. Luckily, I leave the fine jewelry shopping up to Husband or else I would be left fingerless and unable to type these words. I devoted an entire wall in my closet to extended hooks in which to hang my necklaces in an organized fashion. The other day, I was at a birthday lunch at Fred Segal, Melrose. I had not been there in awhile and took a few minutes post lunch to do a quick perusal of the latest. My intention was purely to look NOT purchase. But the vintage jewelry in the gift section behind the restaurant was staggering! Clearly, Jill at the counter sniffed the intrigue and curiosity I was experiencing. I started checking out the Lulu Frost new pieces which are these fabulous large letter and numbers hanging on antique chains. Each piece is one of a kind and the actual letters and numbers are the original room numbers of the Plaza Hotel in NYC prior to the massive renovation. This piece of history spoke to me because my Father and Grandparents lived in NYC and we used to go to high tea at the hotel during the Thanksgiving holidays of my childhood. I, of course, opted for the initial of Husband’s first name to soften the blow of the purchase and aid in my justification defense. Just as I was signing the credit card receipt, some lucite and gold hoops circa some other era caught my eye. As I tried the fabulous pool party earrings on, other fabulous vintage pieces jumped into my view. The entire case came alive and I spent the next 30 minutes trying on the pieces and imagining myself at a Dynasty party along side Lynda Evans. Words could not do justice to the eye of this jewelry collector/designer. She is Nicole Mann Novick of the Garland Collection. Check out my picks! Http://garlandcollection.com Or Jill at Fred Segal 323/651-1800.








