Letting Go Of Stuff and Selling It!

I have been selling my clothing and other fashion items for close to 2 years.  I originally started with Poshmark in 2014 and then moved on to eBay in 2015.  Initially I only sold a few items I was tired of and some items that no longer fit me.  I also did a purge of handbags.  I had been collecting Coach handbags for about 20 years.  I believe I had somewhere between 15 to 20 Coach bags and about 3 Michael Kors bags.  I loved Coach bags for many years and never thought I would ever sell any of them.  One day I came to the realization that I wasn’t using them.  I asked myself, why am I holding onto them.  The answer was emotional attachment and nothing else.  I also came to the realization I no longer actually liked any of these handbags.  After I initially listed all of these handbags and sold them, I sort of got lax in listing and selling items.  

As some months when by, I still was holding onto items.  I thought I could lose some weight and they would fit, I got emotionally attached to things, or I was holding onto designer items just because they were designer.  I wasn’t using these items but I held onto them for no good reason.  I had not worn many of these items in over a year and some had never been worn or used. 

Recently I watched a video where someone sold a YSL handbag to be able to put the money toward a Channel handbag.  I was amazed that she was willing to part with the YSL.  Then I had a revelation.  I needed to do a huge closet purge.  I have a several items on my wish list that I would love to purchase before the end of the year. I would love to earn some extra money to put toward the purchased of these items.  At this point, I decided to let go of many things and sell them on eBay.  In the past 2 weeks or so, I have listed close to 60 items. I am still sorting through & cleaning more items to list on eBay.  Since the beginning of July, I have sold 16 items and 11 of these items actually sold in 1 week.  I’ve also set aside close to 20 items to be donated.  These are clean items in good condition but I didn’t feel would actually sell on eBay.  Once I got serious and made the decision to let go of things, I have been more successful in selling items. 

Making the decision to sell these items has been amazingly freeing.  Once I decided to let them go, I no longer felt emotionally connected to these items.  I actually find the process of selling items to be entertaining. I will readily admit that getting the items ready to sell can be a lot of work.  I carefully inspect each item for wear and tear.  I also want to make sure the items are clean.  Then I photograph each item from several different sides.  Then if it is appropriate, I will measure the item.  I also weigh each item with envelope or box that I am going to ship it in.  Then I create the eBay listing and carefully document any defects in the items.  I tend to list all of my item with the “best offer” option.  This allows buyers to make me a offer.  I can choose to accept the offer, make a counteroffer, or decline the offer.  Generally, if I receive an reasonable offer from a buyer, I will accept it.  The biggest downside to this is that the buyer isn’t required to make immediate payment.  This can be very frustrating.  I’ve recently had 3 people who have refuse to pay in a total of 6 days.  There are so many positive results from selling things on eBay but there can be many frustrations as well.  

When deciding what to let go of, I have a few rules:

1. Do I wear this item or use this item?

2. Do I like or love the item? (I am not talking about emotional attachment here.)

3. Does it fit?  

4. Do I like the way the item looks on me?

5. Am I comfortable in the item?

6. Stop telling myself I am going to lose weight so I could fit into an item.

7. How long has this item been unworn or unused?  If it is over a year, I need to sell it.

My wardrobe has gotten smaller but it doesn’t bother me in the slightest.  I have kept items that I truly loved and use.  Thereby getting rid of a lot of clutter.

I do not use eBay as a means to earn a living nor am I an expert on this site.  I use it to sell items I no longer have the need of and to make some money in the process.  This post wasn’t intended to be an advertisement for eBay.  It was to encourage you to get rid of items you no longer use and sell them (donate if you chose).  There are many different sites you can use to sell items.  eBay just happens to be the one I use.

Thanks for reading!

Karrie

Styling the Kate Spade Daisy Dot Blaire Skirt

I decided to do another Kate Spade post almost in the same theme as the last one.  With the exception of making a purchase from Nordstrom and returning it, I bought this skirt in the same manner as I did the Daisy Dot maxi dress.   

I love the casual summer look of this skirt.  I paired it with a denim blouse by Banana Republic and Gladiator Sandals by Michael Kors.  I also wore my new Louis Vuitton Alma BB handbag with this outfit.  

This skirt is extremely comfortable and has an elasticated waistline.  This skirt comes in sizes ranging from XXS to XXL.  I love the fact there is a wide range of sizes in this skirt.

This is actually the 2nd Kate Spade skirt I’ve bought in this style and this should be an indication of how much I love this skirt.  I purchased one in a different patten last year.  The only differences I found (besides the pattern) is the sizing.  The only I got last year had number sizing instead of the letter sizing.  Kate Spade has a size guide on their website.  I referred to it when deciding on the size to purchase.  

The original price of the daisy skirt was $248 and the sale price is $174.  I also got an extra 30% off of the sale price.  

Link to the skirt:https://www.katespade.com/products/daisy-dot-blaire-skirt/NJMU5907.html?cgid=ks-sale-clothing&dwvar_NJMU5907_color=107#start=51&cgid=ks-sale-clothing

The only minor negative about the skirt is it wrinkles a bit.

Overall I love this skirt and highly recommended it!

Thanks for reading,

Karrie 

Kate Spade 'Daisy Dot' Maxi Dress

Some of my most favorite items in my wardrobe are from Kate Spade.  I love the look and the quality of the items.  BUT I don’t always love the price.  Most of their items do not have designer prices but they are still up there in price.  I first saw this dress on Lily Pebbles’  YouTube channel when she had been invited by Kate Spade to pick out a few items.  I fell in love with the dress and immediately checked it out on Kate Spade’s website.  The dress was way more than I wanted to pay.  It was $478 and with sales tax it would have been well over $500.  I didn’t love it that much so I decided to wait for it to go on sale and then take another look at it then.  

One thing I discovered over the past year is that Kate Spade does something interesting.  They will add new collections often and then put them on sale very quickly.  It seems as if the new items go on sale within just a few weeks of them being launched.  Then very soon after the sale starts, they will do an additional 30% off of the sale items.  This is when I jump on their website and will usually make a purchase or two.  The only issue is that these items are now final sale.  If you haven’t been able to try the item on before this sale, you better hope you guess the right size.  I will tell you based on extensive purchases, most of the sizing stays the same.  For example, if you are a size 6 in a Kate Spade skirt you should be ok with a size 6 in most of their skirts.  The same goes for the tops.  I will warn you to keep in mind your body type when making purchases.  I love their A-line skirts but can’t make their pencil skirts work for me.  I would also suggest that if you can, go into a store and try some items on first.  Figure out what size works for you, then sit back and wait for the sale.  It usually doesn’t take long for it to happen.

Buying this dress turned into a comedy.  It finally went on sale at Kate Spade (without the extra 30% off) but they don’t have the best return policy.  For this reason, I always check to see if either Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus has the same item. I found the dress on both Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus’ website and it was on sale on both sites.  Neiman Marcus had it .30 cents cheaper than Nordstrom.  Both of these stores were selling the dress for a lot less than Kate Spade.  This was on a Saturday.  I really wanted the dress but I didn’t want to be too impulsive and I knew that I should wait a day and see how I felt about it on Sunday. Well, Sunday rolled around and I was still in love with the dress.  I decided I was going to purchase the dress from Neiman Marcus since they had the lower price.  When I logged onto their website, the price of the dress had gone back up.  Needless to say, I was aggravated.  I decided at that point to purchase it from Nordstrom.  I ordered the dress on Sunday.  Well Tuesday rolled around and I saw an ad that Kate Spade had an extra 30% off of sale items.  This extra discount made the dress about $80 less than it was at Nordstrom.  I went ahead and placed my order for the dress on Kate Spade’s website and I returned the one from Nordstrom as soon as it came in.  Thankfully Nordstrom has one of the best return policies for any retail store.  Everything worked out in the end and I am loving this dress so much.

Karrie

I styled the dress with a white denim jacket by Ralph Lauren, a Celine Micro Luggage Tote, Michael Kors black & white heels, & Valentino Rockstud Sunglasses.

Photos where taken at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and in the Gulch in Nashville, TN.

Flag Dress by Catherine Malandrino

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays and I love being Patriotic.  To any other country, it is just a date on the calendar.  To an American, this holiday represents freedom.  The 4th of July is when we declared our freedom from the tyranny of England. I am so thankful the founders of this country had the courage to take a stand and declare our freedom.  Thankfully the bad blood between our two counties ended a long time ago.    

One of the things I’ve been doing for years to celebrate is watching the Capital 4th on PBS.  It is so moving to see the celebration of independence take place in the Nation’s Capital.   Every year, I keep saying I am going to go.  So far, I have yet to make it to Washington DC on the 4th of July.  One of these days, I will get there.

To show my appreciation for this special holiday, I decided to take some photos wearing this Catherine Malandrino Flag dress.  When I first saw the dress on Haute Look, I just knew I had to have it. I really wasn’t sure how much wear I would get out of it.  It isn’t a dress that I could wear on many occasions but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get this dress.  I knew I could wear it to the Patriotic service my church has every year near the 4th of July.  I am so thankful to attend a  church that celebrates this special occasion in the United States.  

I wanted to have the photos in Nashville in the 12th South area.  These photos were taken near Sprinkles Cupcakes and Draper James.  I absolutely love the “I Believe In Nashville” sign

 

 I am not sure what the artist’s intention was when this mural was painted but to me it means how Nashvillians come together to support and help each other when the time is needed.  I love my city, my state, and my country.  I am proud to be an American.  

Happy Birthday America!

Starting A New Blog!

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I've been wanting to start blogging again.  In the past, I've written some travel blogs and a couple of post on fashion.  Those blogs were on other sites.  Blogging is something I've wanted to do for many years.  I could give you guys a lot of excuses why I didn't blog (unless I was traveling) but it just comes down to the fact I didn't put the effort into it.  It has been well over a year since I last wrote a blog post and I've been having trouble figuring out where to start this one.  I wasn't sure if I should write about travel, fashion, food, or do a product review.  Then the thought came to me, this is a new blog start. Why not hit the reset button on blogging and just start by introducing myself.  My name is Karrie and I am addicted to fashion, skincare, & shopping.  I also love to travel and cook.  I live in Nashville, TN.  I love colorful fashion and sometimes I may end up looking as if a rainbow puked on me.  I also love wearing some basic items and then adding just a pop of color to the outfit.  I've been filming YouTube videos for over 3 years.  When I started filming videos, I had three channels.  One was dedicated to couponing, one to travel, and one to basically everything else.  My main channel was called KarriesVlogsandHauls and this blog was originally created to coincide with that channel.  I just never actually posted a blog on it.  A year after starting these three channels, I decided to start another one that was dedicated to modest fashion. I named that channel after myself.  In actuality, I couldn't come up with any really cool names.  Over the course of time, this channel became my main channel and I stopped uploading videos to the other three.  I absolutely love YouTube but lately I wanted to incorporate a blog into my world.  Since I already had created the link for this blog, I decided to start using it.

I am not sure if you would say this is going to be a lifestyle blog or not.  Overall I thought I would eventually incorporate a plethora of different topics into this blog.  I want this to be a well rounded blog and hope it appeals to a wide audience.  I will confess I am not an experienced writer so please forgive any grammatical errors you may encounter along the way.

Thank you guys so much for reading and stay tuned for blogs on Fashion, Food, Product Reviews, and (hopefully) Travel.

Karrie

Youtube Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/c/KarrieStanfill