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!

SOLD!! Mr. Chewy Shopping Spree

"Delivering Pet Happiness!" Click on image to visit the site.

The folks at Mr. Chewy, "Delivering Pet Happiness," have generously donated a $50 dollar shopping spree at their online store! 

You can stock up on dog food, cat food, training treats, kitty litter, and more, and get it all shipped right to your door, without paying shipping!

- 70+ Brands – Mr. Chewy offers a wide selection and adding new in demand brands regularly.
- Subscription based ordering for hassle free delivery of your favorite products.
- Prompt shipping throughout the United States.
- Free Shipping for any order over $49
- Competitive prices

Brands available include Royal Canin, Honest Kitchen, Taste of the Wild, Fresh Step, Blue Buffalo, Orijen, Iams, Science Diet, Natural Balance, Greenies, Zukes, Dogswell, Ziwipeak, Stella & Chewy, Bil Jac, Canidae, Evo, and many more. To peruse offerings, visit their website, or follow Mr. Chewy on Facebook or on Twitter.

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

Retail price: $50. Minimum starting bid: $30.

This item can be shipped within the continental United States only.

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

P.S. If you'd like to give Marlena a gift, she is in need of dog food, so this would be great for her!

SOLD!! Points of View Anthology

Cover of book. Covered very densely in print. Title in large black letters and subtitle in orange. Yellow background. Twelve horizontal stripes alternating black and orange with authors' names listed.

Points of View: An Anthology of Short Stories, edited by James Moffett and Kenneth R. McElheny [Revised and updated edition]

Since its original publication in 1966, this volume has attained classic status. Now its contents have been updated and its cultural framework enlarged by the original editors. Many of the 44 stories come from a new writing generation with a contemporary consciousness, and this brilliant blending of masters of the past and the brightest talents of the present achieves the goal of making a great collection even greater. Adds twenty-nine new authors to the collection of short stories that includes "A Voice From the Wall" by Amy Tan, "Strong Horse Tea" by Alice Walker, "Uglypuss" by Margaret Atwood, and "The Bridle" by Raymond Carver. Other contributors include Tillie Olsen, Truman Capote, Ralph Ellison, John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, James Baldwin, Shirley Jackson, John Cheever, Grace Paley, Eudora Welty, Dorothy Parker, and others.

A timeless text for writers to understand multiple and complex points of view, including interior monologue, letter narration,subjective narration, detached autobiography, memoir or observer narration, anonymous narration -- single character point of view, anonymous narration -- double character POV, anonymous narration -- multiple character POV.

Paperback, 600 pages. 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: $8.99. Minimum starting bid: $6.

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! Anger by Thich Nhat Hanh

Cover of book. Marbled grayish-blue wash of color with no distinctive shape. Printed on the jacket is National Bestseller, Thich Nhat Hanh, author of Living Buddha, Living Christ, ANGER, Wisdom for Cooling the Flames.


Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames by Thich Nhat Hanh

Amazon review: Anger can be one of the most frustrating emotions, carrying us headlong away from ourselves and depositing us into separation and dismay. Vietnamese monk and world teacher Thich Nhat Hanh tackles this most difficult of emotions in Anger. A master at putting complex ideas into simple, colorful packages, Nhat Hanh tells us that, fundamentally, to be angry is to suffer, and that it is our responsibility to alleviate our own suffering. The way to do this is not to fight our emotions or to "let it all out" but to transform ourselves through mindfulness. Emphasizing our basic interdependence, he teaches us how to help others through deep listening and how to water the positive seeds in those around us while starving the negative seeds. Serious though lighthearted, Anger is a handbook not only for transforming anger but for living each moment beautifully.

Hardcover, 227 pages. Condition: Excellent (very slight ware on jacket). 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: $23.95. Minimum starting bid: $10.

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!! Conflict Hotline DVD

Photo of a DVD cover. It's a plastic case with a white cover with pale green leaves and butterflies stenciled on it. Near the bottom, in purple, it says, Highlights from the Conflict Hotline. What you say next can change your world. Volume 1. Featuring Miki Kashtan, co-found of Bay Area Nonviolent Communication.

BayNVC's famous Conflict Hotline radio show has become a television show! 

This exciting DVD, Highlights from the Conflict Hotline, produced by BayNVC features Miki Kashtan. Miki works with a cast to demonstrate how we can transform difficult situations and support the creation of a world that works for everyone.

(Cover of the DVD says, "Highlights from the Conflict Hotline. What You Say Next Can Change Your World. Volume 1. Featuring Miki Kashtan, co-found of Bay Area Nonviolent Communication.")

Watch the (awesome!) trailer for this DVD here!

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

Retail price: $20. The winning bidder has been reached. If we don't hear back, and you are interested in the DVD: PLEASE EMAIL SWACHSLER AT AOL.COM. THANK YOU!

SOLD!! Handmade Beaded Bracelet

A bracelet with many different size, shape, and color beads. Some of the larger, more eye-catching beads are a dark blue one with filigree metal work on both ends, an oval bead in different shades of gray that looks like a small stone, a round brown bead that might be glass, and a diamond-shaped bead that hangs like a charm off the bracelet. There are several small accent beads, many of them a shimmery silver color or pearl-type bead. At the end where the clasp is, near the diamond-shaped bead is, are four short strands of beaded dangles of different lengths.

This beautiful and unique handmade beaded bracelet with clasp closure is designed to fit wrist sizes 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 inches.
A view of the same bracelet open and sideways.

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

Retail price: $45. Minimum starting bid: $20. $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!! Giraffe Hoodie

Grayish-tan long-sleeve shirt with hood. There is a realistic drawing of a giraffe in black, silk-screened on. It's hooves are near the hem of the shirt on the left, with its body and neck stretching up and to the right, its head turned to look at you. It takes up about a half or a third of the shirt front.
Click on image to enlarge.

Long-Sleeved Hooded Giraffe Shirt

An outer giraffe to match your inner giraffe! Donated by Stacked Graphics, this giraffe hooded T-shirt is a stylish, comfortable shirt that is sure to turn heads!

All prints are either transferred or silk-screened with Plastisol ink.

Specs:
  • 4.2 oz., 100% combed ringspun cotton
  • Long sleeves with ribbed cuffs and hood
  • Dark heather color
  • Available sizes: Men's small, large, XL, 2X (medium may be out of stock; please ask in the comments if you need a medium)
(We have more giraffes! Visit all our giraffe listings.)

Retail price: $27.50. 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!! Dakota Free Gift Card

 $50.00 Dakota Free Gift Certificate

Christine of Dakota Free, has generously donated a $50 gift certificate to help Marlena. Dakota Free -- a family business -- sells a huge range of products to help families stay healthy. Serving those with celiac disease, allergies, autism, chemical sensitivities, asthma, dry or sensitives kin, Dakota Free offers three unique lines of gluten-free, allergen-specific skincare, bath, baby, and spa products.

Use your $50 Gift Certificate to purchase any of Dakota Free's wide range of environmentally friendly products!
  • Bath and Home Spa products (liquid & bar soaps; facial cleanser, scrub, & mask; facial cleansing powder; body scrub; foot scrub & soak; fragrance-free bath crystals; deodorants; cuticle treatment oil)
  • Skin Care products (face and body moisturizers; "Baby Your Skin" balm; lip balms & lip SPF protection; massage & body oil)
  • Baby products (baby oil, prairie soap with Shea butter; baby balm; liquid Castile soap; Natural Baby Gift Basket; Natural Baby Bath Set; Baby Bath Travel Pack)
  • Cleaning products (Oxy-Boost, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, dishwasher detergent, fabric softener, stain remover)
  • Gifts & other products such as outdoor bug repellent, videos/DVDs, books, CDs, snacks, Spa Set, Wild Rose Gift Basket, Fragrance-Free Gift Basket, Cup O' Dakota Gift Set, Foot Care Kit, Natural Baby Gift Basket, Luxury Bath Set, & more!
(Have MCS or an interest in fragrance-free living? Visit all our MCS-related listings.)

Retail price: $50. 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!! French Tutoring

    Canadian flag. A red vertical stripe on the left and right sides and a red maple leaf on a white background in the center.The flag of Haiti. Two horizontal bars of color -- blue on top and red below. In the middle is a white rectangle with a drawing in green and brown that is too small to distinguish in detail.The flag of France. Three vertical bars of color. From left to right, it is blue, white, and red.

    Learn or Practice French via Skype!

    Jeanne Chapeau of France offers Conversational French & Basics of French to young and old!

    Jeanne Chapeau, a graduate of BayNVC's leadership training program, offers her services to those who want to learn French or improve their existing French skills. Jeanne is a native French speaker with experience teaching French as a foreign language. She is trilingual - fluent in English, Spanish, and French. Parlez avec Jeanne!

    Jeanne offers up to ten (10) 45-minute sessions of French conversation and up to three (3) 45-minute classes on learning the basics of the French language. You may bid on any number or combination of sessions of French conversation and/or French-language basics.

    Conditions: Jeanne will work with people age 12 and above for beginning French, and any age (adult or child) for conversational French. Due to time differences, sessions must take place between 5pm and 5am Pacific Time US/Canada (8pm-8amET/US-Canada or 1am-1pmGMT). Questions? Email Jeanne!
     
    Value: $25 per session. Minimum starting bid for first two sessions: $12 per session. Now $9 per session! Minimum starting bid for three sessions or more: $10 per session. Now $6 per session!

    Bid examples: "3 sessions of French conversation at $10 each ($30)" or "1 session at $12 each of conversation and tutoring ($24)."

    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!! "Birds of a Feather" Tote


    Large, colorful tote bag. The front has a dark blue stripe down the middle and a white stripe on either side. One of the white stripes is mostly filled with a bright red cardinal. The bottom of the bag has a semi-circle that says Nature's Beauty and shows part of a yellow sunflower below it. There is a narrow strip of brown at the top with white writing that says an indistinguishable word and then seeds. The fabric lining is blue and the shoulder strap appears to be a reddish-blueish paisley tie.
    Click to see the tote's back and interior.

    Birds of a Feather Tote: Upcycled from Birdseed Bags

    Donated by Lou's Upcycles, this roomy, stylish bag is lined, with interior pockets, and is "ridiculously durable"!

    Dimensions: 14 x 12 x 3.5 with a 21” hang (adjustable)

    All bags are made from collected and donated upcycled plastic bags. These bags were unable to be recycled and were destined for the landfills. The entire bag is fused plastic and ridiculously durable!

    Ninety-nine percent of the interior fabrics and straps used are upcycled, repurposed, reused, or recycled. Bag has magnetic snap closures and a ladder lock adjustable strap (made from a man's neck tie).

    Save the landfills and oceans from plastic bulk and look good doin’ it.

    To see the inside and back of this bag (featuring two nuthatches!), visit Lou's Upcycles shop.

    From smoke-free, fragrance-free environment.

    (Bird lover? We have another Lou's upcycled birdseed tote and a bird-decorated treasure box.)

    Retail price: $42. 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!! "Believe in Yourself" Demotivator

    Poster of an areal photograph of a person in a wetsuit in a kayak just about to go over a huge waterfall that's at least a 30-foot drop. They are suspended in mid-air, with the churning whitewater below them. Poster's caption, in large blue letters, reads Believe in Yourself, and below in small white letters, Because the rest of us think you're an idiot.
    Click to enlarge.

    Entertain your inner jackal with this breathtaking and snarky poster from Despair Inc.

    24" x 30" glossy lithograph from Despair, Inc., "Creators of Demotivators® and other revolutionary tools for pessimists, underachievers and the chronically unsuccessful."

    It's the anti-NVC product! Meet your need for sarcastic humor with this delightfully judgmental poster! (Want to deepen your Despair? Click here for more snark.)

    Two (2) prints available. The two highest bidders each win a poster!

    New-in-box (never unrolled), from smoke-free, fragrance-free, cat-free environment.

    Retail price: $15.95 each. Minimum starting bid: $12. $8!

    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!! Shimmering Turquoise Earrings

    Very bright, sparkly earrings of elongated triangles (point down). Stripes of color that are perhaps glass or cloisone or lacquered beads? Top stripe is blue, then a reddish-range, then blue, then gold, then blue and a thin gold stripe, which repeats three times, then gold, blue, and a red point. Each stripe has a different texture underneath the glass so they are very shimmery.

    The turquoise, pink and silver stripes on these striking earrings shimmer as the light strikes them.

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

    Retail price: $25. Minimum starting bid: $12.

    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!! The Help Audio Book

    Inside a lavender cloud, it reads The Help, a novel. The rest of the cover is a mustard-colored yellow. Three dusky birds balance on a wire above the author's name.
    Click on image to go to Amazon listing for this book.

    Audio book of Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel, The Help.

    Unabridged CDs • 14 CDs, 17 hours

    Publishers Weekly, Starred Review: "Four peerless actors render an array of sharply defined black and white characters in the nascent years of the civil rights movement. They each handle a variety of Southern accents with aplomb and draw out the daily humiliation and pain the maids are subject to, as well as their abiding affection for their white charges. The actors handle the narration and dialogue so well that no character is ever stereotyped, the humor is always delightful, and the listener is led through the multilayered stories of maids and mistresses. The novel is a superb intertwining of personal and political history in Jackson, Miss., in the early 1960s, but this reading gives it a deeper and fuller power."

    Condition: Used, very good. 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: $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!! Bicycle Trunk Bag

    Black squarish bag that seems to be made of nylon canvas with various closeable pouches and pockets, as well as straps on it, and a zippered top. An oval patch that says Trans-It is on the front, and the manufacturer's tag is still attached.
     
    This brand new, never used Trans-It Bag, has lots of room for your stuff!

    This black bicycle "trunk bag" fits on a standard bicycle rack, and measures approximately 16"L x 8"W x 8"D. Use it to carry lunch, clothes, rain gear, cameras, or whatever else you need to transport securely.

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

    On request only, the donor will ozonate this item prior to shipping and will mail package items to be as EI-friendly as possible.

    Retail price: $29.95. Minimum starting bid: $15. Now $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!! Secondhand Scent Video

    On the right side is a film strip showing 3 images. A young red-flushed face woman with glasses and dark hair. A gray-haired and mustached male doctor in a white lab coat and stethoscope. An array of bottles of personal care and cleaning products. On the left side are the video title and ordering and contact information.

    SECONDHAND SCENT: ACCOMMODATING PEOPLE WITH MCS
    DVD and VHS

    Created by Boston Self Help Center, this 36-minute video is an exceptionally effective tool in quickly but thoroughly conveying to family, friends, health-care providers, and co-workers the serious nature of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and the importance of accommodating people with the condition.

    "Secondhand Scent" features people with MCS, their friends, and families, and medical doctors and researchers discussing the condition and why and how to help people with MCS avoid chemical exposures.

    Closed captioned; narrated for access to people with print disabilities.

    Two versions of the video are up for bid. One (1) DVD and one (1) VHS. Please indicate in your bid whether you are bidding on the DVD or the VHS. The highest bid for each category will receive the video.

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

    VHS retail price: $15. VHS minimum starting bid: $7.

    DVD retail price: $35. DVD minimum starting bid: $18.

    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!! A Short History of Nearly Everything - Audio Book

    Blue book cover with a photograph of half of the earth as seen from satellite. The author's name in very large white letters.
    Click on image to visit the Amazon listing for this book.
    Audio book of A Short History of Nearly Everything, read by the author, scientist Bill Bryson.

    Abridged, 5 CDs, 6 hours

    Amazon book description: "One of the world’s most beloved and bestselling writers takes his ultimate journey -- into the most intriguing and intractable questions that science seeks to answer.
    In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson trekked the Appalachian Trail -- well, most of it. In In A Sunburned Country, he confronted some of the most lethal wildlife Australia has to offer. Now, in his biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand -- and, if possible, answer -- the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to there being us. To that end, he has attached himself to a host of the world’s most advanced (and often obsessed) archaeologists, anthropologists, and mathematicians, travelling to their offices, laboratories, and field camps. He has read (or tried to read) their books, pestered them with questions, apprenticed himself to their powerful minds. A Short History of Nearly Everything is the record of this quest, and it is a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and always supremely clear and entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge, as only Bill Bryson can render it. Science has never been more involving or entertaining.

    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!! Giraffe "Welcome to the World" Bags

    Stack of ten lightweight muslin natural-color bags with a baby giraffe image and the words, welcome to the world, stamped on the front in a dark tan or light brown.

    Set of 10 Giraffe "Welcome to the World"
    Baby Shower Muslin Favor Bags, Gift Bags, or Candy Bags

    These sweet 3x5 muslin drawstring favor bags were donated by Crista of Dazzling Expressions.

    Use them with a literal interpretation for a baby shower, or a metaphorical one for students of NVC -- welcoming them to the world of Compassionate Communication as baby giraffes.

    They are perfect for favors such as candy, soaps, snacks, candles....or anything else that will fit. The design is hand stamped and inks are available in many colors. Ink color shown is Chocolate.

    To see the bags in more detail or to see the other ink colors available, visit Dazzling Expressions.

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

    Retail price: $11.50. Minimum starting bid: $8.

    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!