You wanted to know how the yard sale went?
I’ll tell you how the yard sale went.
Brief review of the last days:
- While packing the boxes for the move it starts dawning on me that there’s no way I can get rid of all the stuff that has accumulated here by selling it off one by one – just putting it in the mail takes up much more time than I have available.
My friend suggests hosting a public yard sale.
Since the thought sounds logical at first I agree.
- Immediately afterwards I secretly wonder whether this was the right idea.
- In order to get going and to outfox myself I do what I’ve done for years: "Publish it on the blog, then there’s no turning back”.
(Because then you HAVE to do it, otherwise you will be like one of those people who always have great plans, talk a lot about them, and yet never realize any of them. Nobody wants that.)
I instantly receive 60 RSVPs.
I look out the window and realize: we don’t even OWN a garage.
So they all have to come to my house, it’s only logical.
- I reply to 60 mails – and receive 60 error reports in return.
I reply to the mails again and receive error reports for the second time.
Great!
Now, of all times, my mail account has to be malfunctioning?
I secretly wonder whether this whole thing wasn’t a crazy idea.
- During the following days I pack more boxes, blog, drive to the construction site, plan a coffee shop and reply to a lot more RSVPs – at least some of the replies arrive as they should, while with others I have no idea whether this is the case or not.
- Due to this I completely loose track of the actual number of participants.
- I also loose track of the amount of work required in preparation.
As it turns out it is an awful lot.
I ask myself instantly who had this terrible idea?!
On the brink of a panic attack (“I will never be able to do this in my life”) my sister arrives from Berlin – hops out of the car after a 6-hour drive, rolls up her sleeves full of anticipation and action, and sets to work that very minute.
- My sister does not loose her drive for one second during the following three days:
She lugs boxes, buys tons of clothes racks and hangers, sorts and organizes mountains of clothes until late at night, not without advertising it all to me in the most wonderful shopping channel manner:
"And now look at this, ladies! A sparkly shirt! You can wear this ANYWHERE. On a cruise ship, in Saint Tropez, simply ANY.WHERE. Make your move; I hear we have only 150 pieces left! No, we are down to 80 now!”, etc.
In the end she declares Ben’s old room to be “Emi’s Little Fashion Boutique” and wonders whether she should change professions.
To full-time QVC presenter.
- In the meantime I follow her detailed instructions, more or less in a stupor (“the shirts to the right on this rack. No, Joanna, more to the right!”) and very firmly concentrate on NOT thinking.
I especially very firmly concentrate on NOT thinking the following four sentences:
1. What if way too many people show up, who will never fit into my house and we all push and shove our way through, or if maybe even a kind of human stampede ensues?
2. What if these people are some random freaks or crazy people who don’t even want to browse, but … um … do all kinds of freaky, crazy things?
3. What if I won’t be finished never in my life until Saturday?!
(With regard to question #3 I concentrate and focus on my sister, and then move on.)
4. How can I eliminate my friend who had this dumbest of dumb ideas of all times?
- We are five people on Saturday morning: my mother and sister, Charlotte, my former intern (WHO DOES NOT NEED A CALCULATOR, the super brain!) and my friend (in my opinion the most beautiful woman in the world and the one with the dumbest of dumb ideas…) – the latter announces that everything will work out just fine.
- Put on my Valentinos (for cost-per-wear reasons I have to wear them whenever the temperatures are above freezing), and decide to trust my friend’s words.
- - People come streaming into my house, I open the door for them and I am happy about every single one of them.
Some I just say Hello to briefly, with some I have a short conversation, with few I am able to have a little longer conversation.
It is so beautiful.
So, so beautiful.
Some whisper in my ear how much the blog has changed their lives (Which nearly makes me cry. And them, too. And then me even more, and darn it, I don’t want my mascara to smudge!).
Some simply sit on the bench beside me.
We don’t talk, we just enjoy each other.
Hardly anyone fits into my clothes (in the words of my sister while holding up a pair of my shorts: “ Who in heaven is supposed to fit into these? AN EMBRYO?!”), but the decoration items are sold out in no time.
Some people have a rather dry sense of humor, which I love.
I receive a chocolate bunny from Breuninger. And tea.
I meet Noelle’s elementary school teacher who drops in with her mom, as both of them read my blog.
And a photographer who I collaborated with twice in the past – great pleasure.
I feel a bit as if I’m high on drugs, and don’t want to write my blog ever again, but rather organize garage sales without garage every weekend.
Or teach seminars, for all I care – as long as I can look people in the eye.
Or touch them or cry with them with joy, whatever.
- I wonder who had this most FABULOUS idea of all times. All is done after a few hours:
The entire team collapses onto the couch, exhausted, two readers are still on the same couch – I guess they just forgot to leave.
We are starving, so my husband brings pizza for us all – not without acting like a kind of Russian pimp and counting the money beforehand.
I share my pizza with the two readers and I remember that I have to eliminate them, too, as they have seen my husband in action now.
Oh man, work work work!
So now you know how it went.
My friend (the one who was responsible for this wonderful idea) said in conclusion:
"JOANNA!
IT WAS WONDERFUL!
LET’S NEVER DO IT AGAIN!"
She, who gets rid of a lot of things, logically needs a lot of new things – which is why I show you a new favorite outfit for spring and all of summer today.
I am wearing a slim-cut black jacket, which is soft like a second skin and comfortable like a cardigan.
Is there any color that is more flattering against the skin than peach?
It’s justified that most blushes are produced in this color!
I wear it in 2 different hues at the same time – in a light pink in shape of a top by 12Days and an oversize scarf with sequin details in rose gold.
I particularly like the way this look can be transformed – under a jacket the top is nice and classic and appropriate for the office, in the evening you can combine it wonderfully for a night out.
And because peach and rose gold are perfect partners, I am also wearing 2 very delicate bracelets in this color.
Jacket: HERE (better order a size up, it runs on the small side)
Silver bracelet, gold-plated: HERE
Silver bracelet, gold-plated: HERE
Because some of you asked me:
The dress I wore at the yard sale is by Asos.
Dein Lieblingsladen and Villa Smilla will organize another summer event!
Tickets are already available online HERE – I am unfortunately in California at this point.
Thanks again to all my wonderful readers who came out to visit me!
Love,
Joanna
p.s.
You didn’t make it to the yard sale, but would like to see me live?
Why don’t you pop over to the trade show h+h-Messe in Cologne this Sunday, I am one of the speakers there. You can find me at 10:30 am on the couch with Eva Brenner, at 12 pm I will let you in on my personal trends with regard to interior and DIY, and from 2 pm on I will have time for one-on-one conversations and hugs!
This post was translated by Eva Ginnell, thanks so much!
