Fitzcharming Online and Off

I'm the wife of a USPS letter carrier, mother of 4 grown kids, and a grandmother of 2 boys.  Being a grandma is the most fun in the world.  I spend lots of time with my grandkids and they keep me laughing. My own children have all flown the coop and it's really nice being an empty nester.  At one time I thought nothing could possibly be more wonderful than having my own children around but nowadays I like the peace and quiet that comes with being a certain age. 

I am a tax accountant and a registered CPA in the state of Florida.  I don't practice anymore however.  I worked as a bookkeeper at a small firm while getting my college degrees.  Then I was a tax accountant in public accounting for one of the Big Four for 12 years, followed by a few years in the income tax department at a Fortune 500 company.  It's a great way to earn a living but it's exhausting.  So I made the decision to jump out of the corporate hamster wheel and work for myself.

I earn my living these days selling vintage jewelry on eBay, and toys and used books on Amazon.  I also maintain a few blogs and write on Wizzley and Squidoo to share my knowledge and experiences and earn affiliate income. More about the blogs later.  It's a big change from working in a profession for so many years - both in lifestyle and financially.  But it's pretty much zero stress and my time is my own.  I always used to hear people say that if you find a job you love to do it doesn't seem like work.  I thought "yearight they can't fool me, it's still work".  But you know what?  It's true.  Really!  I can honestly say for the first time in my life I LOVE my job. 

Back in the stone age I began collecting vintage charms and bracelets.  After a while I needed to downsize my collection so I took a few pictures, slapped them up on eBay, and the rest is history. That was about 10 years ago. Below are a few of the charms I have listed on eBay right now.  If you click the description you can view the other items I have for sale.  My eBay store is called Charmcrazey and my user name is Fitzcharming.  I've expanded my collection into other types of vintage jewelry so I have some represented in my store also.  If you want to read the story of how I started my business in more detail I've included a link below.  

I am a novice vegetable gardener.  I live in Florida where I can grow food year round so I'm trying out different vegetables and herbs.  Since I've been working from home I have much more time for nurturing and caring for my little plants.  I still don't quite have the green thumb that my mom or my father in law have but I'm working on it.  I've written a few Squidoo Pages on gardening you may like (links to follow).....

How To Grow Blueberry Plants In Florida
Blueberries are my favorite fruit. I love the tiny super sweet berries grown in Maine but I have to buy those at the store. I can grow a few types of blueberries where I live in Florida though thanks to some really smart agricultural folks.

Easy Orchid Growing Tips
I like to grow orchids too. They are very easy to grow in Florida and I have them all over my yard.

Florida Native Plant Gardening
For my home landscape I try to stick with native plants whenever possible. Easy to grow, fewer pests, they survive without any extra watering.... lots of reasons to plant native.

I bought a big old dollhouse that I'm remodeling for my dolls.  Here is the "before" picture of the inside. I'm blogging about my progress along the way at Diary of a Dollhouse. 

The house is intended as the residence for my Kenner Blythe doll but it turns out she's going to have a few roommates.  So far my collection includes Kenner Blythe, Emerald the Enchanting Witch, a few Monster High dolls, Peteena the Poodle in a Bikini, some Spinmaster Liv dolls, Moxie Teenz, and Oz the Great and Powerful Dolls.  They are all generally fashion sized dolls, meaning they are about the size of Barbies.  Emerald and the Moxie Teenz are odd sized though.  

Another term for fashion size is playscale.  Playscale dollhouses are 1:6 scale which means 1 inch = 2 feet.  This is about twice the size of miniature dollhouses which are 1:12 scale or 1 inch = 1 foot.  My dollhouse is a little over 5 feet tall.I plan to introduce all of my dolls in my blog as I complete their rooms.  I expect the list will grow as I make my way through the remodel - and as funds become available.

Monster High School
Keeping up with monster madness - I love Monster High Dolls and the stories that go along with them. Thank you Mattel, this is much more fun that Barbie.

Trying Out Toys
Mainly because my grandsons come to my house a few days during the week while their parents work and we play. Some of my doll collections are showcased here too.