PastGems Vintage Jewelry Blog

What are your Anchors?

What are your personal anchors—people, things, places, or rituals—that keep you connected to yourself, your sense of well-being, and your feelings? What makes you feel secure in the world? Who or what can you count on for support? Make a list of these anchors so you can access them when you feel stranded and unsure.
  ~ Gail McMeekin  

This came to me this morning from Walk the Talk, an daily ezine I subscribe to which helps me stay on track, start my day with an energizing, positive frame of mind and sometimes remind me of things I have forgotten.  This one touched me and I felt it was important enough to share...

Blessings,

Karen

Time Management

My challenge these days is to get better control of my time.  I've always considered myself to be a good time manager.  I'm known for my efficiency and ability to get things done.

Recently, however, as I attempt to manage my business and life in general I've begun to look at my efficiency vs. my effectiveness.  Ah-ha!  I find that I am not getting done things that are fairly important because I am so busy efficiently completing the everyday tasks.  (Hint: that's why I haven't been on this blog in over 6 months!)

I committed last week to my Mastermind Group (more about that another time) to write in my blog at least 3 days this week.  And here I am!  Third time.  Yaay.  Because I think having a presence in my blog is important and can be an effective tool in growing my business.  Hopefully, someone, once in awhile actually reads it!

Next goal will be to get back on my newsletter schedule.  I'm hoping that my customers found my newsletters last year to have some value in terms of education about vintage costume jewelry.  That was my goal.  That focus will continue as we progress through 2010.

If anyone has any time management tricks they would care to share, I am collecting and sifting through ideas and suggestions and incorporating the ones that I think would work for me into my life.  So send 'em on!

Meanwhile, Best wishes and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Hugs, Karen

22 Suggestions for the Holiday Season

1. Feast on Harmony as well as food.
2. May you be filled with loving kindness.
3. May you keep the fun in fundamentalism.
4. May you embrace an attitude of gratitude.
5. May you find joy in simple pleasures.
6. May smiles increase your face value.
7. May your smiles burst...so that they become laughter.
8. May you have long laugh-expectancy, without relying on the use of laughsitives.
9. May you use mental floss to fight truth decay.
10. May self-discipline be the bridge between thought and accomplishment.
11. May you take an esteem bath daily.
12. May you give as much as you receive.
13. To all holiday recipes, add 2 cups of milk of human kindness.  Sweeten with generous portions of love.  And, do everything with relish!
14. Before eating fruitcake, check for "ant-tracks."
15. In a world full of conflict, find beauty and choose peace of mind.
16. May you embrace, respect and learn from all religions.  God is too big to fit into only one.
17. May you make a positive difference in the lives of others.
18. May you follow your dreams so that your reality becomes your best fantasy.
19. May you not take yourself too seriously.  And may you weave a playful, creative spirit around the spiritual fiber of your life.
20. May you truly enjoy tomorrow's past.
21. May your Holiday Season be wholesome and complete.
22. May you be HAPPY!

Happy Whole-a-Days!
xoxo

Karen

Thinking About Abundance

Last night when I was driving home, there was an ad on the radio from a local Bay Area car dealership and he was droning on in the usual way about buying or leasing a car today.  Not real high on my list right now.  But what caught my attention was that he went on to say something to the effect that while we would really like it if you bought your car from US, please just buy a car.  From anyone.  Keep the economy moving.

That got me to thinking about money and the economy (who isn't these days?) and the flow of abundance.  And it's true.  What creates abundance and prosperity is the flow of energy.  You buy something, somebody in the store helps you, they get a paycheck so they can go home and feed their children and pay their bills, someone else helps them and the cycle continues.  If we all hold on too tight, the flow stops.

I know someone who right now is doing a very, very expensive renovation to an already very, very expensive house.  Now granted, this individual has a LOT of money.  Really a lot.  But what I like is that she's keeping probably 100 or more people employed for at least a year while this renovation is going on.  She's helping to keep the flow going.

I've been talking to my friends and many of them are saying how their gift-giving at the holidays this year is going to be very, very small.  And I've been saying the same thing.  But at the same time, I'm thinking of the things my loved ones need or would like to have and I'm doing my best to scrape it together and get these things for them.  I'll probably end up spending as much as I usually do.  Just cause it's hard not to.  And cause I love my family.

Listening to the news about Black Friday and the poor man who was trampled to death at Walmart just sickened me.  Imagine hundreds of people so intent on getting a "good deal" breaking the doors down to a store and trampling a 6'5", 275 lb. man to death just to get in the store!  This is not the sort of rabid consumerism I'm talking about.  Not shop until you drop.  But just not holding on too tight.

Keep the flow going.  Do some judicious shopping and buy some lovely things for your family and dearest friends.  And even for yourself.  Don't hold on too tight.  Be cautious and exercise wisdom, but get out there and spread the wealth around a little -- it will all come back to you. 

Be safe and happy this Holiday Season!

xoxo,
Karen

Happy Thanksgiving

Like many American holidays, it is so easy to become caught up in all of the shoulds, oughts and musts of the holiday that it takes some conscious effort for me to remember what the holiday actually is supposed to signify.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of the biggest culprits of the phenomenon of excess.

Thanksgiving isn't just about the turkey and loading your plate with tons of carb-rich foods and watching football. 

It is about taking some time to gather with family and friends and reconnecting on a different level than we do throughout the year.  A deeper level, a forgiving level, a remembering of the threads that connect us level.  

On an even quieter, more personal note, for me, it is also about remembering to be grateful for all of the many blessings in my life.  These last months -- years even -- there has been a lot to be upset, fearful and negative about.  There are wars that we are involved in, there is a downward spiraling economy, there are people losing their jobs in all sectors and walks of life, there was an election that created a lot of strife and uncertainty -- the list goes on an on.

Well, the election part is over for the time being and I, along with millions of other Americans, are hopeful that our new President will lead us into a time of prosperity and peace.  Meanwhile, sleeves need to be rolled up and hard work needs to be done. 

But I digress.  Gratitude is the real point of my note today.  I try to take a little time each day to remember what in my life I am grateful for.  When things are tough, sometimes its harder, so I start with something little: like "the alarm went off."  Throughout the day, when I think about it, I add to my mental list of gratitudes.

I'm healthy
My children are healthy
The guys at my favorite coffee shop like me (even if they haven't chosen me for Customer of the Month yet!  What does a girl have to do?)
I have a job
I have a wonderful website of vintage costume jewelry, which I LOVE!
It doesn't snow where I live
The car started right up this morning
The heat came on (and the lights too!)
Email is working
My computer is behaving!

You get the idea.  In order to attract more abundance into our lives, I believe that we have to stop and be grateful for the abundance that is already there.  If all we think about is the lack, we will only attract more lack.  On the other hand, recognizing and acknowledging and being grateful for the abundance that is already there, will attract more of those things into our lives.

So that is my little soapbox philosophy for today.  That said, I want to wish everyone a blessed, mindful and very Happy Thanksgiving, whatever you are doing and whoever you are with.  And even if you're all alone, take a moment to be grateful for the blessings in your life and feel the connection with the people you know and smile!

xoxo,
Karen

PastGems is a BBB Accredited Business!!

Exciting news this week.  My little vintage jewelry shop, PastGems.com has just been accredited by the Better Business Bureau!  What does this mean?  It means that as a business I have

• Agreed to Tell the Whole Truth (no hidden fees or exceptions to policies)
• Keep Its Promises (all verbal and written agreements are kept)
• Be Responsive (all concerns are dealt with in a timely manner)

Not all businesses get accredited, so I consider this a real feather in my little cap.  Soon you will be seeing the BBBOnline logo on my website (it takes awhile to work through all of the bureaucracy.) 

An additional perk of being BBB accredited is that my website will be certified Hacker Safe by McAfee -- an additional layer of security to my already secure (Thawte-certified) website, which should help people feel safe doing business with me.

I have already pledged to provide exemplary customer service and I now not only renew that pledge but also vow to follow the tenets listed above as part of my partnership with the BBB.

Thanks to all my customers for being out there -- without you I wouldn't still be here!

xoxo                                               
Karen
 

An 80th Birthday

No, not mine.  My mother turned 80 yesterday, 9/22.  A Virgo, through and through, even tho she's on the cusp.  She lives in Southern California.  I live in Northern California.  But my daughter lives in Southern California, as well as old family friends who live halfway in between.  So a couple of months ago I concocted the idea of having a surprise party for my mother.  I did actually give that some thought.  How much do you really want to surprise an 80 year old woman?

Anyway, I drove down to Orange County on Friday, we had the party on Saturday at my daughter & son-in-law's house, my mother actually showed up (that was always in question right up to the last minute) and she was suitably surprised (shocked might be a better word), happy and grateful to have us all there.  It was only her second birthday party in her whole entire life.  I think she had a good time.

This is the same mother who was sister to my late aunt who had all the wonderful old jewelry that my mother was about to take off to a flea market before I rescued it -- much of it can be found on my website -- several Kramer pieces, some amazing vintage rhinestone watches, an old French Rooster gold coin made into a gold & ruby necklace -- and much more.  There was also a strand of real pearls -- a choker and a bracelet -- I had those repaired and restrung and gave them to my daughter.  A few treasures I also kept for myself.

My mother doesn't look a day over 70 -- still lives on her own, still driving, as spunky as ever.  She told me yesterday, she is now looking forward to reaching 90!  Heaven help us!

xoxo,
Karen

Back to School Already?

When I was a kid, we had three whole months of summer vacation.  School let out in June, we went back in September.  After Labor Day.  A lot of schools around here started last week -- in the middle of August.  The ones that didn't will start next week. 

In the beautiful Bay Area where I live, summer doesn't really start until August.  In my opinion.  Our Summers tend to be on the cool side with gray overcast mornings from the "marine layer" as they like to call it and then warming up in the afternoon.  Yes, we had a couple of heat waves in June and July, but truly the most beautiful, perfect weather months in Northern California are late August through October.  That's when I think summer should be. 

But everyone is stuck back in school, and back at work after their summer vacations and actually starting to gear up for the holidays, which are going to be here before we know it.  Anyway, I start getting excited about this time of year as we're approaching my favorite season -- Sept & Oct with picture perfect weather, crystal clear blue skies, soft ocean breezes...it just doesn't get much better.

If you've never been to the Bay Area and are thinking about a visit, plan your trip for September or October and experience it at its best!

xoxo,
Karen
www.pastgems.com