Side Hustles

 I decided a year ago I wanted to start a small side hustle (back then I didn't know that was the term for what I was planning to do!). I delight in finding beautiful treasures in thrift shops but my house can only take so many items before it becomes clutter so I thought it would be fun to sell these beautiful items to others to enjoy. I chose some of my favourite things - pretty china, stunning crystal and glass, fabrics and books. It allowed me to continue to indulge my love of finding these treasures amongst the junky items on the thrift shop shelves. I then can indulge in my pleasure of arranging them with flowers and plants I have in my garden and taking artful photos of them.

It has been so much fun and has allowed me to do several of my favourite things all for the one purpose. Finding the plants to go with each item has been an adventure that takes me out to the garden on a more regular basis and look at flowers and leaves and seed heads more closely and in a different light than I might otherwise. Pairing these with the treasures I have creates the next challenge. I have chosen to have a colour pattern on my Instagram page for this wee business and so I have the added challenge of finding plants that will fit this theme.

I never intended to set out to make much money from this. It was a side hustle that was purely for fun but I decided early on that any money I made was to play with a the share market via an app. This was something I had never done before and thought it would be a way to learn about the share market with money that I could afford to lose. I make sure I pay myself back for any expenses incurred buying the products in the first place so it is only the profits that go on the share market. 

I enjoy knowing that some of the pieces I have found have done to people who are collecting certain things - it makes me a bit like a hunter of collectables on behalf of others. I like knowing I am spending money that is a donation for charity. I like knowing that I am participating in the second hand market place so that items are being recycled and people are able to get their retail fix buying something that is not harming the environment through its production. I like knowing I am maybe allowing people to see the beauty in old things and that they can feel new to you even though they have already served that purpose for someone else in the past.

If you are interested to check out some of my photos and items I have found, or just admire some of the plants from my mother's or my garden then feel free to go to @porcelainandprint on Instagram.