Support Marlena's Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Classes
for People with Chronic Illnesses & Disabilities

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

WINNERS: PLEASE READ! Thank You and Congratulations!

Bidding is now closed. 

Thank you so much for making this auction a success!

Please follow these instructions to pay for and receive the service or product you won. (Please do the steps in the order listed. Thank you!)

1. If you are certain you know everything you bid on and won, including winning bid amount of each, total them up. 

If you are not certain you know your tally, please email swachsler at aol.com with what you think you bid on and/or won, and ask us to double-check all your bids and math. We will email you back with a list and a tally. Please keep an eye on your email (including your spam folder). If you don't hear back within 24 hours, try our backup email, occupiehome at gmail.com or tweet @aftergadget.

2. When you know what you've won, please fill out the "Auction Winners Contact/Information Sheet" below. We need the information in this form to give to the people who donated your products/services. This information will be kept private. Your information will NOT appear on this or other websites. When you click SUBMIT, the information will be emailed to the people who have organized the auction. If you have any trouble using the form below, comment on this post or email one of the addresses above, and we'll email you the form. (So please make sure to include your email in your comment!)

3. Once you know the total amount you owe, please use the Paypal button in the upper right corner or bottom left of this site. If you have a problem with the button, but can access Paypal through your own account, please email swachsler at aol.com and we'll give you Marlena's Paypal address.

If you do not use Paypal, please send a personal check, bank check, or money order, ASAP, made out to "Marlena Willis" and mail it to Marlena Willis, P.O. Box 11211, Oakland, CA 94611. Please email us at occupiehome@gmail.com ASAP and tell us which day you mailed your check. Then we will have an idea of when to expect it. We will be happy to send you your item AFTER your check has been received. Thank you!

4. We request that you fill out the contact form AND send your payment within 48 hours. We really need Marlena to get this help ASAP, and for the people running this auction who are severely ill, we need to keep things simple and efficient. If you are the highest bidder and fail to pay or to alert us that you have paid within 72 hours (3 days) of notification of winning, we will contact the next-highest bidder and tell them they have won the item instead. Thank you for your understanding.

5. Please email swachsler at aol.com to indicate you've paid; please give your name and the amount you paid so we can keep track with what Marlena receives.

Since the people who have donated these items are also donating shipping, it is up to them what method of shipping to use; most will probably use whatever is easiest or least expensive. Also, many donors are chronically ill and have multiple items to send, so it may take them up to a week to get your item in the mail. We thank you for your patience.

WE TRULY APPRECIATE THE GENEROSITY, KINDNESS, AND SUPPORT OF ALL WHO BID, DONATED SERVICES, MADE PHONE CALLS, AND OTHERWISE HELPED TO SUPPORT MARLENA AND HER STUDENTS. Thank you!

You may have to scroll down to complete the form and click on the "Submit" button.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

SOLD!! Magick Botanicals Products

A row of 11 bottles of shampoo, conditioner, hair styling products, lotions, etc., a jar of baby powder, and 6 small bottles of products in a zippered plastic pouch with white string handles. The colors white and purple predominate, with stripes of yellow, green, and red as well.
Click on the image to visit Magic Botanicals website.

Mary Lou, the founder/owner of Magick Botanicals, has generously donated six 6-piece Travel and Trial Sets of Magick Botanicals products!

Magick Botanicals has been making products for the chemically sensitive and environmentally conscious for many years.

They are made fragrance free, gluten free, and salicylate free, for those with allergies, fragrance sensitivity, chemical sensitivity, environmental illness, and asthma.

A clear plastic pouch with a white zipper along the top and a white rope handle contains a row of six small bottles of products with white caps and mostly purple writing and decoration, along with yellow, green, and red.
The travel set contains shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, hair gel & hairspray.
The contents of the 6 piece travel and trial set are 2 oz. each of these products:
  • Oil Free Fragrance Free Shampoo
  • Oil Free Fragrance Free Conditioner
  • Fragrance Free Cleanser and Body Wash
  • Fragrance Free Moisture Lotion
  • Fragrance Free Hair Styling Gel
  • Fragrance Free Hair Spray
These six-piece sets are excellent for travel (or to keep in your car if you need to use a public bathroom), to test out tolerance for new products, and to give to family and friends who you'd like to go fragrance free! An ingredients list of these products is available here.

(Have MCS or an interest in fragrance-free living? Visit all our MCS-related listings.)

Six (6) travel kits (with six products in each) are available! The SIX highest bidders each win a travel kit! If you want to bid on more than one, please indicate the number of kits you're bidding on. For example: 2 kits for $14 each.

Retail price: $19.95. Minimum starting bid: $10.

This item can be shipped within North America (the US and Canada) only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Organic Pillow Protector

Side of a bed, with natural, off-white cotton zippered covers on the pillow and the mattress.
Click for more information.
100% Organic Cotton Pillow Barrier Cloth with Zipper by Janice's

Janice's comfort collection - Providing relief to thousands of people with sensitivities and allergies.

Janice's has generously donated this pillow protector that will keep dust, dirt, and allergens away. And all with pure, chemical-free organic cotton.
You will sleep and breathe better with the use of our protectors. Metal zipper with cotton tape. 100% Organic Cotton Barrier fabric. Made in our sewing room. 
Fits standard size pillow (21" x 27").

(Have MCS or an interest in fragrance-free living? Visit all our MCS-related listings.)

Retail price: $39.95. Minimum starting bid: $18.

This item can be shipped within the United States only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Sick Humor Postcards

A cartoon of a tan-skinned woman with black hair wearing blue pants and a green top. She is lying slumped in a chair, her legs sticking out, her arms dangling at her sides, her head resting on the chair back, and her eyes closed. The letters S I C K are above her body, as if sliding down her limp torso, and below the chair it says HUMOR.

Sick Humor Postcards, Double Multipack

Two of each of Sharon Wachsler's "Sick Humor" series postcards that take a twisted look at life with disability and chronic illness!

Tired of hearing, "Have you tried...?" Get yourself "Clip n' Copy!"

Have a friend who has lost weight due to illness and needs a laugh? Send her The CFIDS Diet!

Wanna connect with your inner "EI Avenger"? This explosive poem is Dr. Seuss meets Hothead Paisan meets MCS!

Two twelve-card multipacks, each in cellophane envelope, 24 cards in all. From smoke-free, fragrance-free, cat-free environment. See some sample 'toons at Sick Humor Postcards.

Cards all hand-signed by the artist for this auction.

Photo of 12 black-and-white postcards, fanned out in two piles of six and two glossy photo cards, one of a muddy black furry dog and one of a little black puppy pouncing in the snow. A book peeks out from under the other items. The background is burgundy cloth.

(Two additional humorous Barnum-the-Bouvier service-puppy-in-training photocards included. Book not included.)

(Have MCS or an interest in fragrance-free living? Visit all our MCS-related listings.)

Retail price: $20. Minimum starting bid: $10.

This item can be shipped within North America (US and Canada) only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Writing Critique

Square aged-parchment style graphic with a red quill pen in a black ink pot in the center, and two figures in joyful poses, perhaps dancing or leaping, on either side of the quill.

Professional Writing Critique

Sharon Wachsler will provide thoughtful, thorough, constructive critique of your writing -- either one (1) short story (any genre) OR one (1) essay OR three (3) poems.

Sharon has taught and mentored other writers through her online writing class, “Dancing with the Muse,” and through her work as founding editor of the literary journal Breath & Shadow. She has extensive experience giving and receiving critique on plays, short stories, poems, interviews, reviews, and essays.

Sharon has been writing professionally since 1992, winning awards in nonfiction, fiction (flash fiction and short fiction), and poetry, including two poetry Pushcart nominations and an Astraea Foundation fiction grant. Her short stories have twice appeared in Best American Erotica. She has written features for Kaleidoscope literary journal and Bitch magazine. Her essays have been used in numerous college curricula, particularly disability studies, women's studies, and diversity education. She has well over 100 publication credits, including short stories and essays in several dozen books. You can see some of her publishing credits here (nonfiction & essays), here (erotica), and here (online publications). References available upon request.

Value: $75. Minimum starting bid: $30. 

There are NO geographical restrictions on this item; we will accept bids from anywhere in the world!

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Inkjet Photo Paper

Black cardboard box with photo of blond preschool girl holding tulips.
HP Everyday Inkjet Photo Paper (Glossy)
100 sheets with cut-tabs. 4" x 6" glossy photo paper. Works with ALL inkjet printers.

"Quick-dry, glossy photo paper for casual photos and school projects."

New, unopened, in box. From smoke-free, fragrance-free, cat-free environment.

Retail price: $10.99. Minimum starting bid: $8. Now $4.99!

This item can be shipped within the United States only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Dreamwork Session & "The Work of Byron Katie" session

Head-shot of a light-skinned middle-aged thin woman with wavy brown hair and rosy cheeks, smiling broadly. Her eyes look like they're looking right at you. She's wearing pearl drop earrings, a blue-and-purple scarf, and a tan sweater.

Two (2) items offered by Zoé Newman, Bay-area psychotherapist:
Dreamwork Session & Session on The Work of Byron Katie

Dreamwork session is an opportunity to explore your dreams and tap the insight, guidance, and healing wisdom they offer you. Zoé Newman is a Bay Area psychotherapist who has been leading dreamwork groups for over twenty years, drawing on Jungian, gestalt, somatic, and other dreamwork approaches; and is the author of Lucid Waking: Using Dreamwork Principles to Transform Your Waking Life.
Note: The dreamwork session is definitely best in person at Zoé's North Berkeley office but can be done by phone.
Value: $120. Minimum starting bid: $45. $20!

The Work of Byron Katie session in person or by phone with Certified Facilitator Zoé Newman. "The Work of Byron Katie is a way of identifying and questioning the thoughts that cause all the fear, violence, depression, frustration, and suffering in the world. Experience the happiness of undoing those thoughts through The Work, and allow your mind to return to its true, awakened, peaceful, creative nature."
Value: $120. Minimum starting bid: $45.

There are NO geographical restrictions on these items; we will accept bids from anywhere in the world!

In your bid, please indicate whether you are bidding on the Dreamwork session or on The Work of Byron Katie session.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Nirvana Safe Haven

Activated Carbon Blanket
Special Thanks to Nirvana Safe Haven!
Creating Healing, Healthy Environments Since 1993

Daliya Robson of Nirvana Safe Havenhas very generously made her donation directly to Marlena. This post is a thank-you to her and a public service to those who might be seeking product information that other companies don't carry.

Since 1993, Nirvana Safe Haven has successfully been creating healthy, healing, allergy-free, toxic- and chemical-free environments for all who call or ask. Daliya offers caring, knowledgeable, personal attention and solutions to those with chemical sensitivity or who want to live in a cleaner, safer environment.

Some of Nirvana's most popular, unique, and useful products for people with MCS include:
Organic Bed

SOLD!! Beyond the Body Farm Audio Book

This book cover is spooky, with shadows of dark trees at night in the background and in the foreground an x-ray of a skull, a scan of a finger print, text scrolling on a computer screen, and a DNA printout. The title and author are in oversized, horror-movie style lettering.
Click on image above to see Amazon listing for this book.

Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murder, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science [Abridged]
by Dr. Bill Bass (Author), Jon Jefferson (Author), Tom McKeon (Narrator)

Book description from Amazon.com: "A pioneer in forensic anthropology, Dr. Bill Bass created the world's first laboratory dedicated to the study of human decomposition. Bill Bass' research at "the Body Farm" has revolutionized forensic science, helping police crack cold cases and pinpoint time since death. In this riveting book, the bone sleuth explores the rise of modern forensic science, using cases from his career to take readers into the real world of "CSI".
Some of Bill Bass' cases rely on the simplest of tools and techniques, while other cases hinge on sophisticated techniques Dr. Bass could not have imagined when he began his career: using computer data and video image processing to help identify murder victims; harnessing scanning electron microscopy to detect trace elements in knife wounds; and extracting DNA from a long-buried corpse, only to find that the female murder victim may have been mistakenly identified a quarter-century before.
Witty and engaging, Bass dissects the methods used by homicide investigators every day, leading listeners on an extraordinary journey into the high-tech science that it takes to crack a case.

Playing time: 6 hours 16 minutes on 5 CDs. Abridged. Condition: Like new. This item comes from a smoke-free, fragrance-free, pet-free environment.

(Like to read? Check out all our print and audio books!)

Retail price: $29.95. Minimum starting bid: $15.

This item can be shipped within the United States only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Sheer Silk Scarves

Two scarves lying on a hardwood floor. Both look very light and sheer. The longer one has layers of moss green, burnt orange or gold, and sheer or maybe a touch of white. The shorter has a print in similar tones of gold, orange, or possibly rose-colored flowers that look a bit like small poppies or wild roses in shape, with green leaves in slightly different shades of green filling in all the areas where there are no flowers. Both scarves are very tasteful and elegant.

Two silk scarves—lovely sheer flower pattern in golds and oranges, and shimmery green/gold mix.

Estimated value: $45. Minimum starting bid: $20. $7.95!

This item can be shipped within the United States only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Bird Pattern Treasure Box

Two sides of box. One appears to have a bluejay in a leafy tree with a bluejay feather attached. Another side has a large white water bird, an Ibis or egret, about to dive into the water or take flight. Further image description in text.
Click image to enlarge.
Top and one side of box. Top shows a brown hawk with a red wing. Side is difficult to make out, but is very colorful and has some sort of feathery thing on one side.
Click image to enlarge.












This gorgeous collectible will be a delight to any bird lover!

Treasure box in bird house shape, made of ink-jet printed fabric by Heidi Rand of Garden Delights Arts & Crafts.

Inside of box show with lid folded back. Inside is opaque purple.
Click image to enlarge.
Sides show a variety of birds, including a heron and an owl. Fabric stitched together and opens into lavender-colored box. Feathery attachments add a whimsical touch.

(Bird lover? We also have totes made from upcycled birdseed bags here and here.)

Estimated value: $50 Minimum starting bid: $25.

This item can be shipped within the United States only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Hand-Loomed Wool Shawl

Large triangular shawl with the warp and woof lines visible from a loomed item in tans, brows, white, gray, and black. Very elegant. It has very long fringes on two sides. The remaining side is smooth.

Hand-Loomed Triangular Wool Shawl

Woven by Barbara Lee Anderson, this shawl has never been worn. (It still has plastic tab from price label.) An elegant blend of grey, white and black, with long fringes on two sides. Measures 5’ across, 28” deep.

Estimated value: $175. Minimum starting bid: $50. $17.50!

This item can be shipped within the United States only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Finger's Breadth - Autographed

Book cover shows a hand held up straight, palm facing the reader, drawn so that some of the bones and muscles appear visible. The pinkie finger has been cut off halfway up, leaving a gory, bloody stump. An indistinct gray background suggests a sinister urban landscape.

M. Christian, an acknowledged master of erotica, editor of 25 anthologies and author of multiple novels and short story collections is donating a personally autographed copy of his latest novel, Finger's Breadth.

An erotic thriller, this dark emotional thriller that reviewers say "will take the reader on a scary but enlightening ride through the twisted labyrinth of the human psyche" and will "get under your skin and send chills to your bones in both a terrifying and arousing kind of way."
Look at your hand: four fingers and a thumb, right? But what if you woke one morning and rather than four fingers and a thumb you are ... short? How would you feel? What would you do? What would you become?
The city is terrified: a mysterious figure is haunting the streets of near-future San Francisco, drugging and amputating the fingertips of queer men. But what's worse … this terror or that it can, so easily, turn any of us into something even more horrific?
Erotic. Nightmarish. Fascinating. Disturbing. Intriguing. Haunting. You have never read a book like Finger's Breadth. You will never look your fingers -- or the people all around you -- the same way again.
Paperback. New. M. Christian will sign it personally for the winner. (ebook is available if preferred.)
This item comes from a smoke-free environment.

(Like to read? Check out all our print and audio books!)

Retail Value: $15.99. Minimum starting bid: $10. $5.99!

There are NO geographical restrictions on this item; we will accept bids from anywhere in the world!

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Dog Toothpaste

Two (2) Tubes of Petrodex Enzymatic Toothpaste for Dogs

Poultry flavor, dogs love the taste! Support your dogs' dental health! Promotes clean teeth and gums, reduces tartar, plaque, and "doggy breath."

Each tube is 2.5 oz (70 grams). Brand new, never opened.

Ingredients: Sorbitol, purified water, dicalcium phosphate, hydrated silica, glycerin, poultry digest, dextrose, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate, glucose oxidase (Aspergillus niger).

This item comes from a fragrance-free, smoke-free, cat-free environment.

(Love dogs? See our other dog-related items.) 

Retail price: $26. Minimum starting bid: $12. $6.99!

This item can be shipped within the United States only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Giraffe Tote

Cream colored canvas tote with long handles. In the right quadrant and stretching up about two-thirds of the way up the bag is a giraffe head on a short length of neck. It's very realistic, looks like a photograph, with the giraffe facing you directly, making its nose and mouth very prominent and showing all the details of its ears, eyes, and horns. It has sort of an amusing expression.
Click on image to enlarge.

Cream-color canvas tote with long handles. Standing in the lower right corner and stretching up and to the middle of the bag is a realistic-looking drawing of a giraffe. There's shading and shadow on the ground at its feet.
Click on image to enlarge.
Pick your preferred style!

Bring giraffe consciousness into your life in a stylish and eco-friendly way with a beautiful, recycled cotton tote!

These delightful giraffe totes have been donated by Craft Culture Boutique.

Both totes are the same materials, dimensions, etc. The only difference is the design -- the stately standing giraffe or the whimsical giraffe face full of personality. This bag has lots of room: great as a beach bag, diaper bag, grocery bag, plus lots more. Makes a great gift, too. Size: 19" wide x 15.5" tall x 7.5" bottom gusset and 22" handles.

These totes are a classic style that never goes out of fashion! They are a high quality XL Eco Bags made of durable, machine-washable, 10-ounce, 100-percent recycled cotton canvas! Fun fact about this bag: The recycled cotton is post-industrial and is made up of organic and natural cotton. By choosing recycled canvas, you are saving excess material scraps from a lifetime in the landfill.

The images on these bags are heat pressed using a commercial grade heat press and high quality commercial grade transfer paper that is made special for these machines. Due to the nature of the bags, there might be small imperfections.

The winning bidder may choose which style they prefer!

This item comes from a smoke-free, fragrance-free environment.

(We have more giraffes! Visit all our giraffe listings.)

Retail price: $15. Minimum starting bid: $12. $7.99!

This item can be shipped within the United States only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Empathy, Mediation, or NVC Coaching

Light-skinned Latina woman with round face and rosy cheeks smiling next to a vase of pink flowers. She has very short dark hair gone mostly gray and is wearing an embroidered orange-brown shirt.

 Empathy, NVC coaching, mediation, or Rosen Method with Marlena Willis

Marlena Willis (for whom we are having this auction!) is offering empathy, NVC coaching, mediation by phone or in person; or hands-on empathy -- in person only -- which combines NVC and Rosen Method bodywork. Two (2) one-hour sessions are available to the two highest bidders.

Marlena is a teacher of NVC who has been an NVC practitioner for over a decade and has taken the BayNVC Leadership Training Program twice. She is experienced at offering empathy, NVC coaching, and mediation by phone. She also has experience combining training in Rosen method bodywork with NVC to offer hands-on empathy. Read more about Marlena.

These services are available by phone with anyone in the world (those outside of the US are responsible for their phone charges or may use Skype) or in person for those in the San Francisco Bay Area. The TWO (2) highest bidders each win a session! 

(Want to see our other NVC-related items? Click here.)

Value: $100 (per session). Minimum starting bid: $45.

There are NO geographical restrictions on this item; we will accept bids from anywhere in the world!

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Women's Sherpa Hoodie

SONOMA life + style® Sherpa Fleece Hoodie

Brand new, never worn (tag still on) Kohl's Sherpa-lined misses Sonoma top, size medium (M).

Zip front, long sleeve, two (2) pockets, cotton/poly. Stylish, soft and warm. The hood and tunic are fleece-lined. (Sleeves are not.)

This garment is "light purple" - darker than lavender but lighter than a typical purple. We don't have a picture of it in this color, but you can see the style here at this Kohl's page.

This item comes from a fragrance-free, smoke-free, pet-free environment. It's never been washed.

Retail price: $50. Minimum starting bid: $20.

This item can be shipped within the United States only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! "Perfect World" Note Cards

Color-blocked note card with graphics. Item description below.
Perfect World: Dogs - Note Cards (Pk of 10)

Color-block print by photographer, artist, blogger at Dog's Eye View, and guide-dog partner L-squared (L^2). She has donated this set of ten cards from her YellowDogPhotog Cafe Press shop.

Design features image in four squares: blue peace sign on a green background, red and pink heart on orange background, brown pawprint on purple background, black text that reads "The Perfect world" on yellow.

High quality, chlorine and acid free matte paper consisting of 30% post consumer waste, 50% recycled fiber. Ten cards per package, with envelopes included. Measures 4.25" X 5.5"

(Love dogs? See our other dog-related items.)

Retail price: $11.99 Minimum starting bid: $8.

This item can be shipped within the United States only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD!! Painted Japanese Bowl

Item description in text below.
View looking into bowl
View of side of bowl and stand

Hand-painted Japanese ceramic bowl, 8½” in diameter, with attached ceramic stand (3” high). Design depicts kimonoed villagers walking towards a house, and a bridge over a river with mountains, trees and birds in the background. Sides painted with birds and flowers.

A lovely dish for serving or display.

Estimated value: $50 Minimum starting bid: $25. $11.99!

This item can be shipped within the United States only.

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!

SOLD - Shimmery Glass Earrings

Gold colored shiny earrings. J-shaped ear wire with square shimmery green-gold glass beads with ornate metal dangles below, antiqued to look like tassels.

The picture does not do justice to these lovely earrings. Square glass beads of shimmery golden-green with antique detailing -- hooks and pendants have antique matte finish. New, never worn; purchased at Berkeley art fair.

Retail price: $20. Minimum starting bid: $12.

This item can be shipped within North America (the US and Canada) only.

(We have more lovely jewelry! See other jewelry listings.)

To bid, post the amount of your bid and your contact info in the comment section below! Thank you!