BONANZLE PREMIER SELLER - SOFYBLU2

Good Morning all - as promised, I am featuring some of my favorite sellers on Bonanzle right here! There are many, so much entertainment is ahead for us all.

Today, I introduce Sofyblu2! Pictured above on the left is a beautiful 1950s Bavarian Gareis Porcelain silver luster 16 piece set; and on the right is a Christmas lighted blowmold from 1988. These featured items barely scratch the surface of this wonderful booth!

Sofyblu2 carries an assortment of vintage items--including Christmas ornaments from Europe, yard blowmolds, china, crystal and the ever-popular Fiesta ware. In fact, Sofyblu2 is in the process of opening another booth at Bonanzle called "Sofy's Choice" which will feature Fiesta ware only.

Sofyblu2 is a long-term online seller with an impeccable reputation. We hope that you will take the time to visit her shop (http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/sofyblu2) and while you are there, check out Bonanzle - as a seller or a shopper!

Bonanzle is the newest and fastest growing online commerce site on the web today and we are proud to also be members of the community.

THE GENTLE (and not so gentle) WAYS OF CAT PERSUASION

"To sit in a comfortable chair means getting there a split second before the cat--and having to suffer its resentful stares as a consequence. IT may infiltrate behind you--and shove. Or sit on the arm--and lean. Or wrap itself round your neck--and throttle. Or touch you light with persuasive paw or gentle nose--until, of course, you give in."

Or, in the case of Ms. Pieper, give you the death stare...LOL. Yesterday was NFL Playoff day at our house and as a result, Ms. Pieper and I jockeyed for position on the couch...after I settle down and get covered up, she assumes her rightful position at my left shoulder...she "gently" nudges me with her behind until she is just right...then she gets up, looks at me, jumps on my chest and lays there...for about three minutes...then it's back to the rightful place...bump, bump, bump goes her rear end...my shoulder moves...she settles down...and of course, by this time I have to go potty, so it's me up again...and the whole scenario plays again...

And at the end of the day, I feel as though I have played the entire afternoon of football!

BONANZLE ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!

You can only realize too late why the cat was on top of the fridge when you notice how smooth the butter is. (Peter Delaney).

Pieper and I are so happy at our new home, Bonanzle, selling our handmade items and other treasures that we have picked up here and there. Bonanzle is a wonderful place for sellers, as well as buyers, our wares are "everything but the ordinary." We currently have over 18,000 members!

Today, I'd like to feature: Midwest Emporium! They sell one of a kind new, used, vintage and antique products. The item pictured above is Marx U.S. Army Tank #3 Wind Up Toy Vintage. Two pair of movable machine guns mounted on top. Great graphics in avocado, orange, yellow, and black.

Measures 5 inches high X 7 3/4 inches long X 3 1/2 inches wide.

This Marx Windup Toy U. S. Army Tank #3 has some scratches & couple of tiny dents. Very little paint loss.

Windup works - tank rolls when wound and lever is released. Although the machine guns were supposed to make sparks when the tank is operational, the abrasive is worn off and it no longer sparks.

Very nice example of a Louis Marx toy. If you don't have one of these in your collection, this is a nice one.

Midwest Emporium carries some of the most amazing china and collectible glassware that I have seen...and at VERY reasonable prices.

Please check them out at http://www.bonanzle.com/midwestemporium

Whether you like to collect or just window shop, your eyes are in for a treat!

SEW IT'S THE NEW YEAR!

"Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause the most inconvenience." (Michael Stevens)

And this was never more true as I begin sewing and crafting again. If Pieper cannot be on my lap, then she wants to be on my pattern, or on my fabric (a no-no when they are for resale) or on the phone or texting...honestly, she's such a princess!

SELLING ON BONANZLE!

In late October, I discovered a wonderful new selling site called BONANZLE. I heard a long interview with Mark Dorsey, a member of the creative team, and he convinced me to take a look--and I LOVED what I saw...

*my own booth
*no listing fees
*four pictures allowed - no fees
*customer support extradinaire
*very reasonable (VERY reasonable after-sale fees)
*helpful and informative forums

to name just a few. I had previously sold on Etsy, but found that it was only for the things I created and what was I going to do with the stuff that I had around that was not handmade by me? I branched out, but like many others, made little profit for my efforts.

I decided that I needed to start crafting and sewing again to relieve the stress of my everyday life. I am very creative and when I can't be, I get frustrated. And, my favorite subject is cats, so my focus would be on cat-themed items. I have, it seems, not limited myself to that venue, but have, instead, created what appealed at the time.

If you are selling in another venue, or would like another place to shop, I encourage you to check out BONANZLE (www.bonanzle.com). It is growing (the members have more than doubled since I joined in late October of 2008), but we are a warm and welcoming bunch and you would be very welcome to join us.

2009 - A CLEAN SLATE

2008 rolled by like the tide...onward and onward and onward. I cannot believe it is gone.

Many good wishes to all for a better 2009 than 2008, for our country and for each of us personally who have had a rough time.

God Bless and we will see you tomorrow with a whole new bunch of cat facts, introduce our sales booth at Bonanzle, as well as share some of our friends' booths and fun stuff for sale at Bonanzle, the hottest marketplace on the Internet!

WENZEL THE CAT

Wentzel...like most cats, he inspired a whole little book by his owner, Arnold Zimmermann called "Catalog - Gaffer's Book of Improbable Cats". This small volume, published by Schoolhouse Press in 1987, features drawings by Mr. Zimmermann and his interpretations of Wentzel's moods and poses. Today's entry features Wentzel as:

"CATATONIC"

GOODBYE 2008

Pieper and I hope that you all had a nice Christmas and are looking forward to the new year ahead...

With all the food around for the holidays, I thought it might be time to remind us humans that our little furbabies--much as they might like eating off our plates--probably shouldn't.

Pieper loves pizza crust, roast beef, salsa, sesame shrimp (when she can tear it out of my hot little hands), among other delicacies that she can procure with a cute blink and the rub-up-against mommy action. Little scamp! Oh, wait...are only boy cats scamps? Well, then, she must a scampi!

COMMON FOODS THAT CAN HARM YOUR PETS:
Alcohol--no brainer here; does damage to humans too.
Fruit seeds and stems--apples, apricots, cherries, peaches and plums--contain cyanide type compound.
Avocados--no more guacamole for Pieper--very, very toxic for the little ones.
Baking powder and baking soda - serious potassium problems, heart failure & muscle spasms.
Chocolate--probably the best known food item to cause problems for our pets.
Coffee grounds and beans--caffeine toxicity.
Fatty foods--can cause pancreatitis
Dairy products--not highly toxic, but can produce symptoms similar to lactose intolerance in humans.
Grapes and raisins--often found in breads during the holidays.
Macadamia nuts--as few as six can cause severe toxic reactions.
Moldy or spoiled foods--nuff said.
Mushrooms.
Nutmeg--often used in holiday cooking.
Onions and Garlic--all forms are problematic, be they frozen, fresh, dehydrated. This warning includes using garlic as flea control.
Yeast dough--they are speaking here of raw yeast dough...yeast raises in the stomach, ferments and alcohol is produced--causing alcohol toxicity.

There is a wonderful website called www.petplace.com. They have a very extensive collection of what can harm your pet, what the symptoms are and what to do if these are ingested!

Do not use Ibuprofen or Tylenol!

Have a great day!