Sunday, February 16, 2014

Sunday Musings: Lampshades and Freebies (NOT!)


Happy Sunday!  It is warm and sunny and beautiful--finally.
Lamps Plus

I'm prepping for a staging next week.  I'm sitting here cleaning lampshades to be packed.  You know how nasty lampshades get with dust and dirt?  How do you clean them?  I use alcohol and cotton pads and gently rub, rub, rub, down, down, down.  Then I hit the tops and bottoms which is often tricky where the cording is attached.  It is a very zen activity that I find quite satisfying. 
CVS

During my swiping, an incident popped into mind.  This week, a friend asked me if I would like a small table and some other accessories for my staging loot. I'm not typically a skeptic, but I have a history of being put in an uncomfortable position.  One time I was 'offered' two beautiful pottery urns.  I oooed and aaaahed over them and gushed profuse thanks.  "I thought you might want to buy them from me!" Even second hand, they were not a bargain.  Being a coward, I picked one up and told him, "Wow! These are sooooo heavy!  You know I am going to have to pass. It is difficult to lug heavy items around for staging."  Lame, I know but it was the best I could come up with.

Then I reached deep in the recesses of my memory and remember another time I felt 'burned'.  (Or maybe I'm just stupid and can't read between the lines.)  Anyway, someone invited us to their beach house, gave great details about the dates, location, etc.  When I said, "That sounds divine!" The beachcomber told me that her husband would be in touch with our portion of the rent.

(Least you think I am a loser magnet, I have been the recipient of many gracious offerings.)

So, how do you handle it when someone offers you tickets to a concert, show, or sporting event and you don't know the deal?  Do you offer to pay for something you don't particularly care to pay for but would go to if it was a freebie?

Thanks for listening lovelies!  Appreciate your thoughts!
 

6 comments:

  1. Twice we were offered tickets to theater performances. The givers would not take a dime when we offered. In return on both occasions we gave them a very nice bottle of wine that we knew they would appreciate.

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  2. I totally agree with how you handled your situation. I assume you really wanted to go to the play and were thrilled at being offered the tickets. You were gracious to give them the nice wine.

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  3. I'm getting more and more offers for "free" furniture as my business becomes better known. Luckily most of these things were just going to be donated away.
    My only advice when being offered things is to say that you Are not buying right now. Then if its for free for real, the owner will quickly say that

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  4. I was just given a bunch of furniture from a friend who no longer needs it. I accepted graciously and plan to thank my friend properly by treating her to lunch!

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    1. Nothing better than treating a girlfriend to lunch! Great that she shared her cast-offs with you Kim!

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