To You

To all of my wonderful customers, I would just like to say a big: !!!

Thank you for allowing me to do what I love! It's important for me to be able to create in my life and without your support of my beadmaking, I probably would have just kept creating more children!! haha!
Have a great Sunday. We're off to the Kiwanis club pancake breakfast and then to the Pinewood Derby races for Boy Scouts. I'm sure you'll wanna see pictures of that! :-)

Second Sunday

Hello! Happy New Year! Geeze, hard to believe that as a child (and even into high school) I thought I wanted to be a writer! Now I can't even seem to keep up with a blog!
I hope everyone had wonderful holidays. They were fast and furious for us but the weather did do its part to slow us down! With 4 new inches of snow yesterday, it's like Christmas all over again! The kids love the snow of course and even my husband secretly can't wait to get on the tractor and plow our mile-long driveway! It's not REALLY a mile long but...I wouldn't want to clear the snow with a shovel. Actually, I wouldn't want o clear the snow myself at ALL! :-) That's what I have all these kids for--haha.
Anyway, I just wanted to say Happy New Year before it was Valentine's day! I've got several shows coming up that I'll update soon on the "Upcoming Events" section.
Take care and stay warm!

P.S. I know I'm not supposed to mess with Texas...but for my southern border friends (and my little brother too!) we Iowans don't have much sympathy for your 53 degree days in the middle of January. Sorry! As you're walking around in your sandals and short sleeves, think of me here with my four layers of clothes and wool boots. At least I work with hot glass and not ice sculptures! :-)

Hello for the Holidays

Happy Holidays!
I hope everyone is doing well and staying warm and safe this Festivus season! For those that celebrate it, as Quentin (8) just said, "Tomorrow's tomorrow is Christmas!!" I like that.
I want to share a video with you. It's made by a fellow Des Moinesian and Twitter(er) which is how I even found it in the first place. I don't know a whole lot about Brandon Barker but from the pictures on his blog, he and his family look so lovely and happy that I can't help but smile and feel warm inside. Hope you don't think I'm weird for saying that. There are SO many other reasons for thinking I'm weird, you don't need to make that one of them.
So anyway, this video, shot IN Des Moines has been played over and over in my house for the last two weeks. Owen (he's 6) and I love it and dance around the kitchen to it. Even Quentin, who usually rolls his eyes when Owen and I listen to show tunes and watch theatrical excerpts on the YouTube got into this video..."Wait, did he just say, 'Han Solo'?". (you'll understand better after you watch it)
Anyway, I hope you'll like it as much as we did.

I wish for warm smileys inside for everyone this season. And BEADS. Everybody needs beads! We're leaving Santa Rice Crispie Treats and beads! :-)

Customer Appreciation

As a bead seller I'm always curious about what my customers MAKE with the beads that they buy from me. I am always so happy and honored when my customers chose to share what they've made. This beautiful bracelet was made by Joanne Jovich . Joanne is the owner and artistic force of JJ's Jewels . Here are a few of the other wonderful works she has to her credit!


Go look through her Etsy shop and find something for someone on YOUR gift list!

Have a great day!

Cyber Monday

I titled this "Cyber Monday" but in truth, that's about all I really have to SAY about it! :-) I hope if you decide to shop online today that you find everything you're looking for and that you get free shipping ta boot! I know there's free shipping in my Etsy shop, you can go there! Here's some of what you will find (some have already sold):


They are some of my favorite discs to date!

Anyway, so did you eat all of your leftovers? If you didn't host Thanksgiving at your own home, chances are (like me) you may only have leftovers of your own contribution. Myself, I'm a little sick of green bean casserole and pie. I know that may sound a little like blasphemy. haha. Some time ago I started putting part of the French's Fried onions IN the casserole as well as on top. I don't think I'm going to do that anymore. Too much mush later when you want to eat it leftover. That's my two cents about green bean casserole.
Just now as I was writing this, every time I tried to type "bean" I would first type "bead". Go figure. I think that I should go make some green beads just for the opportunity to name them, "Green Bead Casserole"! There, a goal for the day.

We had a great time on Thanksgiving and I hope you did too.
Hope you have a great Cyber Monday as well!!!

OK, I Figured It Out....

The eBay template thing that is. Here's what's up there now.

A couple of the things I've moved over from my Etsy shop.

Quentin had his 8th birthday yesterday. We spent over two hours in Toys R Us trying to spend the birthday money that was burning the proverbial hole in his pocket. Some of that money he's had for more than a week so I was actually impressed that he didn't pressure harder to spend it before his actual day.

After the two hour Toys R Us stay and a quick trip over to Target just to "make sure" there was nothing better THERE we went BACK to the toy store and came home with this:


It's part of the Agent series. Pretty cool. Thank goodness for Dad and big brother Alex though... I think it would have taken more than a week to put together otherwise. All I can manage to do with the Legos are destroy them. I do like to set up the little guys though. :-)
On the way home from the toy store Quentin said, "We were in Toys R Us so long, it started to feel like we were in another world!" I had to agree!
ANYWAY... hope you're having a great sunday. Quentin's sister bought him silly string for his birthday, so I'll be spending some time today cleaning THAT up!

eBay Blues

I was planning to list some things on eBay for the first time in quite a while. Apparently it's been so long that I can't even use the template from my last auction. Boo hoo, no cheating for me. That'll teach me huh?
In other news, guess whos husband has volunteered to be the assistant to the Cub Scout Den leader? Whew yeah...does that now trump MY cooking and sock washing? Will I now have to stop complaining about the bathroom? What about yelling about all the mud that gets tracked into the house on any given day? It's a complete mix of pride and fear for me here. :-) Don't worry, I'll come up with something!

And to add a little color, Owen thought I should post this:

They are Playmobil People that have been recycled and turned into magnets. Very very cute! I got them from the Etsy seller
Sigmosaics. They came all the way from Portugal and in just a week!! Wow!
I guess that's all I have for today.

11-11

Last week on Wednesday we attended the full military funeral of my husband's grandfather--Grandpa Marvin. While the Army veterans played "Taps", my son Quentin (7) stood in salute the whole time. I couldn't help wondering why he would do that. What innate obligation did he feel? While it was somehow sweet and endearing and drew the attention of the Army soldiers (much to Quentin's excitement), I couldn't help being concerned for his obsession with "Army guys". My thoughts flew to the future. Would HE some day want to join the Army?

Today, almost a week later, as I'm hearing and seeing the "Star Spangled Banner" and "Taps" being played over and over today, I am overcome with emotion. I'm sure I'm not alone. The fears of military service that I hold for my sons are the reality of so many mothers past and present. I'm not sure that I fully understand my emotions today but I am in touch with the fact that while Quentin was saluting at his Great Grandfather's funeral, I was more than fearful--I was proud. So maybe today for the first time my eyes have been opened in a different way to Veteran's day. My grandfathers are both veterans, my father, my husband's father, several of my cousins, my uncles...I'm proud to say that.
For them and all other Veterans past AND future--Thank you.

Beware

Well, I learned a lesson the hard way last sunday--one that I should have known already. I was at the lake with my almost whole family- my inlaws, my husband, kids, even my sister-in-law's dog! We walked around the lake, played at the park area for a while, and got back to my van only to discover that someone--in the light of day (high noon) with many people around and in a crowded parking lot--had smashed out my van window and stolen my purse.
What a violation. It's somehow my fault for leaving my purse locked in there, but it doesn't make it any easier to accept. Of course there's the hassel of canceling and replacing the credit cards, checkbook, insurance cards, cell phone.... but it's the personal items that are not so easy to replace. The $120 in cash isn't so easy to replace either. I NEVER have cash--go figure! Heck even the purse itself was vintage and it came from Amsterdam.
ANYWAY...I'm just telling you this so that you too can be aware. Especially with the Holidays coming, don't leave anything of value in your car. Even a trunk is not a safe place and especially if you lock something in your trunk while you're IN the parking lot of a store or mall. People hide and out and watch for just that kind of thing.
I don't mean for this to be a downer, but I hate when this kind of thing happens and I don't want it to happen to anyone else.
Be safe, be aware.

Minnesota On My Mind

Boy I'm bad about blogging! I probably say it all the time, but I just don't know how some people keep up!
I DO want to let you know that I'll be in Minnesota this weekend for the Twin Cities Bead Bazaar! If you're in the area, it's a great show with many a cool vendors! :-) I'll be set up in the same booth as Amy's Creative Bead.
I also want to mention my IMMENSE gratitude to one of the coolest people in the world--Cathy Collison. If you don't know Cathy (where have you been? ha) she is the owner of
Glass Garden Beads and the creator of the famous Bottle Cap beads. Last weekend she was ever-so-amazing as to bring me THREE pounds of a certain green-colored glass that if you know me--you know I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for but am very rarely able to find. I'm not even going to put the name of this green glass in this post lest it might come up in someone elses desparate search for this coveted color! I bought all three pounds and I'm not sharing! :-) You know the cartoon with Daffy Duck..."It's mine! ALL mine!"
ANYWAY...Cathy is so great! I just love her so much, (even before the green glass!!) and if you ARE planning to come to the bead show this weekend, you can stop by her booth. You won't get to meet Cathy in person this weekend however because she's doing the South Central Minnesota Studio Tour which is a very cool thing too! So, I just wanted to give a little credit to Cathy and for my fellow bead makers let you know about my new stash!! :-)

Hope to see you at the show!

Treasury Tuesday?

Well, it's Thrusday! I missed Treasury Tuesday! It might take me a while to implement this new "event". :-)
MEANWHILE....my youngest child has lost his first tooth....we've had our first Cub Scout meeting....and some of the first pictures from Grandma Lorna's trip to Africa have come in. Grandpa has 3000 MORE, but it might be a while before I see any of those!


(Owen looses his first tooth)


(Grandma gets to kiss a Giraffe!)


(Brite shiny new Boy Scouts!)

Treasury Tuesday

I just decided RIGHT now that I was going to try to start doing a "Treasury Tuesday" promotion. I KNOW today is Wednesday (no really, I know! ha) but the treasury that I got this week WAS made yesterday, so it still counts. This is the treasury that I made this week on Etsy.
I've got more to add, but for now I'll just leave you with this.

Darling Dollys and Some Little Monsters Too!!
(I had to remove this because it kept changing and didn't reflect what was really in my Treasury!)

Friday

We went on vacation this year. Last year I sent the kids with my husband to Colorado with the kids while I went to the Gathering! This year going to the Gathering was not an option for me, so I got to go on vacation too. My in-laws live in Boulder (can you get any better?) so we always have the perfect vacation destination! While we didn't carry our own camera around very much, my father-in-law is almost never without HIS. I don't have any of his pictures from vacation yet, and he and my motehr-in-law are now in AFRICA! They are even slated to go to a beadmaking factory!! Can't wait to hear all about that!



I love to go UP the mountains, but I do NOT like to come down!

ANYWAY... what has everybody been up to? It's been a long time (as usual!) since I've updated.
School is back in session here. I've got 3 kids in school and one who's already out. I've got a 1st grader (Owen), a 2nd grader (Quentin), and a JUNIOR in high school (Alexander). Wow! Where does the time GO? Owen, who is so fond of school, made that comment that 1st grade is BORING!! "You have to sit at your desk almost ALL day!" he said. He's missing kindergarten a lot I think! Quentin says, "Wait till you get to 2nd grade!" :-)
I kinda misss kindergarten myself sometimes and I sure could use a special nap mat with a designated time to use it!
***do you know that they don't even DO that anymore?! They sure did when I was in school, and I only went to kindergarten for a 1/2 day!***
Hope you all had a good summer. I feel like I'm way behind and since we've been back from Colorado, I've been feeling VERY restless. I'm a little caught up in the whole political scene and not feeling very inspired work wise. :-( Hopefully that will last only about a minute more and my muse will return!!

New Things on eBay

Some new things up for grabs on eBay. I've been trying to do a few things over there lately. Good to keep a "pressence" you know.





***In other news...I heard a blip on the radio that they found WATER ON MARS! I'll have to do some more research and get back to you on that one. Feel free to do your own research and get back to ME on that one too if you want! :-)

Tera's Treasury

I so totally understand the excitement that is creating a treasury on Etsy! Today I got my very first one!
Go see!!

ArtFest Midwest

Coming up THIS weekend is the
ArtFest Midwest ! As one of the demonstrating artists, you'll be able to see me live and in person! Since that is probably one of the higher up things to do on your "To Do" list, you should stop out if you're in the area! You won't even have to take a boat! We're pretty much all dried out and ready to party arty! :-)
Here's a picture of me there from last year (remember the camera adds ten pounds! ha):




Hope to see some of you there. I'm pressed for time--as always and going a little insane, but I'll be ok once the show starts. No, really--I will!!

Hooters

These little guys are going to be up on my eBay later today to try to help my sister-in-law fullfill her pledge goal for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer . All the money from this auction will go toward my sister-in-laws goal.

I hope they do well! :-)

Tomorrow

I haven't updated here in a long time. I guess that's because it took me about a month to finish the LAST entry. I encourage everyone to read my last entry if you haven't already.

ANYWAY...

Tomorrow's my birthday!!
I JUST decided--just now, that those are three of my favorite words. Well, when they are said in that order. :-)

"Tomorrow's my birthday" is so much more fun than, "it's almost my birthday" (which I've been saying all week!) and it's SOOO much better than, "yesterday was my birthday" (which I will be saying the day after tomorrow!).

So, if it's your birthday tomorrow too, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Grandma Lorna Wants to Save Second Base!

I hope you all had a great Mother's Day. I wanted to get this post done on Mother's Day--kind of like a tribute, but the message is still the same a day later.

My mother-in-law--aka: Grandma Lorna--is doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer !

Some of you may have guessed from this blog title, that this post was going to at least have SOMETHING do with breasts--right? Well, what's really funny, is that I had to EXPLAIN what second base even MEANT to my mother-in-law ! Doesn't matter--she's not really trying to save second base for the reasons that the term "second base" was coined anyway!
:-)

Let me tell you a little bit about my mother-in-law. She's pretty popular at our house, but unfortunately for us she LIVES in Colorado. Great for a vacation destination, but we miss out on a lot of baked goods and Sunday dinners being that she's so far away. (I'm just KIDDING! She doesn't even bake all that much and for dinner on Sundays she and my father-in-law just eat popcorn!) I just wish we lived closer is all I am trying to say.

Anyway, so Grandma Lorna (and Aunt Sarah) are going to do the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I just think that's fantastic. My mother-in-law is such an inspiration and so commited to philanthropical causes, that I am completely and totally proud of that woman. That's right, no stereotypical mother-in-law for me folks--I got a good one! :-)

What else does she do? Well...she volunteers several times a week at the Medicine Horse ranch in Boulder. Mostly she MUCKS. Do you know what that IS? Cleaning out the manure and soiled bedding in the horse stalls. Wow.
It's a wonderful program and she loves being part of it.


She's also a doula. She's worked with several mother's pro-bono--cuz that's just how she is. She's part of the
Colorado Doulas Association . If you know anyone having a baby that's looking for a doula in the Boulder area--you should look her up!

She recently attended the
Conference on World Affairs (CWA) where she met a wonderful African woman who is part of
IPI (International Peace Initiatives) . What's really cool is that the lady is from a part of Africa where my mother-in-law will be going this summer (third trip there!) so she is going to visit her when she gets there. My mother-in-law is buying jewelry supplies to take with her to donate to the IPI and also clothing and school supplies.
She's also going to tour a GLASS FACTORY while she's there! She better at least take some pictures for me!! :-)

So...that's about all I can say about Grandma Lorna right now. (After SHE reads this, she may have more to add--haha!)

***This isn't the reason I'm doing this blog BUT...if you would like to donate to ANY of my mother-in-law's causes, I'm sure she would be very grateful. If she had her choice right now, and you WOULD like to give something, I'm sure she would choose the Avon Breast Cancer Walk.

You can actually go to her

direct link or my

sister-in-laws (who still needs to meet her goal!) to donate.


If nothing else, you can just root for her. I know we are! Go Grandma!!

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! I just heard that my fair city of Des Moines (That's in Iowa folks) is voted as one of the cities to have the cleanest drinking water in the country. Whoo hoo!
I feel good about the fact that I have been recycling household containers/paper etc. for at least 18 years! Though really, I've been doing other forms of "recyling" my whole life. (hand-me-down clothes and art from found objects count!)
Anyway, I don't have a whole lot of time this morning, I have to get ready to go to the ZOO with my son Owen's kindergarten class. What a good way to spend Earth Day huh? Afterwards I think I'll go downtown and pick up some garbage. :-)
I'll leave you with some recyclable "art" that Quentin (he's 7) made. He even cleaned up his mess afterwards How sweet!