It's Tuesday!!!!!

And I'm thinking about...

chickens

prayer

and opera singers



AND they're all tied together...sort of..... don't ask.


This is what my mind keeps brewing on.... need to find some playtime to experiment with these crazy ideas.

and I can't explain them... because until I actually make some of them, I don't want to talk too much about it. but I think that these ideas could all be really cool.


short short short posting today. Probably no beadmaking time. It's orchestra concert day, which means last-minute shopping for black socks and pants. We keep out-growing them in between concerts (6 months = 3 inches!!!) and black socks disappear into the great sock beyond.


tiny blah blah blah...

Thank you again Rita for my coffee sponsorship this week!!!!

coffee - cinnamon dolce latte

music - I keep playing Eric Hutchinson "Rock and Roll" over and over and over. Need to switch to something else, but I like the song!

Happy Monday to my happy readers!!!

I had a wonderful, but not beadmake-y weekend. It was SO pretty here in Atlanta... it would have been ashame to spend it inside the studio, yet I SHOULD have.

I DID do something beady though!!! I went to the Southern Flames meeting on Saturday night and saw the demo by Julie Ferguson. It was a really good thing for me to do that... on several levels. It's always good for me to be around other beadmakers...reminding me that I need to get my act together.

I got to talk to my friend Cristie who I have lost touch with and really needed to chat with for a while. I'm glad I did. Cristie was my bead-diva assistant years ago before she started teaching and designing her own stuff. She was a life-saver back then and I miss talking to her regularly like we used to. So I'm glad we've made it a point to find time to get together.

The other reason I'm really glad I went to the meeting is because of Julie Ferguson! It was really funny, I didn't connect that the Julie Ferguson that was teaching/demo-ing for Southern Flames with the Julie Ferguson that took a beginning beadmaking class from me like 7 years ago!!

As soon as I saw her, I knew immediately who she was and had a big DUH moment putting it together. Not sure why I didn't make that connection before, but when I did I felt a bit ditzy. It was really good for me personally to see her demo. She told me (and the group) that I was her first beadmaking teacher. This was really cool for me. A reminder that LOTS of people have taken classes from me and that I've planted seeds, taught techniques, shared my stuff with people that have gone on to do the same thing for other people.

It made me think that I need a family tree! People who have taken classes with me that now teach other people... seeing how many people my classes ended up effecting. I just needed to be reminded that I've done some pretty cool and pseudo-important stuff. There are career beadmakers out there that took their first classes from me... so I've helped them have a livelihood! (of course I know that they proably would have found someone else to take classes from if it hadn't been me... but it's still important for me to remember this)

AND while I was there, I had some really cool ideas that I want to play with... wacky ideas, but cool ideas! So, hopefully, this will help me get my butt downstairs and make beads this week!!!


tiny blah blah blah...

sponsored by Rita! THANK YOU Rita!!! (visit Rita's site and see her cool stuff!)

coffee - Cinnamon Dolce Latte. It's almost time to move to iced drinks. It's getting a little warm for hot coffee.

music - a new mix of chicks. I'm listening to Adele, Colbie Caillat and Corinne Bailey Rae this morning.

Why is it that I always have incredibly creative or thought provoking ideas as I drive down Lake Forrest Drive???? What is it about that road??? And can I move my studio so that it somehow moves down Lake Forrest when I need inspiration????

(oh yeah... happy Friday!)

I had the coolest ideas this morning as I drove to my office. I'm wondering how I'll deal with the ideas... but they're cool.

and this is short.


tiny blah blah blah..

Brought to me by Rita!!!!! Thank you SO much Rita!!!!! I truly appreciate it. Visit Rita's website and see all her pretties... www.ritazramblez.blogspot.com

coffee - Cinnamon Dolce Latte - YUMMY!

music - Adele, Adele, Adele, Adele. I've had her album on repeat all morning and I'm pretty sure it's going to stay like that all day. Beautiful.

Happy Stress Free Thursday everyone!!!!

I can say that with a little more confidence, without cringing waiting for the sky to fall. Without jinxing anything, it really has been a lot calmer lately... which is good. My hands need that.

Today is venting day.... so if you get bored with my rants about artsy stuff.... time to log off. You can go read my coupon blog if you really need a Sylvie-fix without the ranting. :)

www.CouponsAreChic.blogspot.com - (I talk about my coupon and grocery shopping conquests there.)

But here today... it's a little less sunny... it's a little ranty.

I'm really disappointed with my FYV classes this round. I'm not disappointed with ALL the students... I have to say that first. BUT I allowed the classes to be overly full this time... each had about 15 students and I ended up with 8 participating in one of the classes and about 10 (?) in the other. Out of THIRTY people, I ended up with 18 that were truly into the class and doing what needed to be done. That really stinks... for me (because I wasted my time and energy) and for the students.... for those that dropped out because they'll miss on something that they probably really could have benefitted from and for the ones that were truly into the process because they were sharing and committing themselves to the workshop and only getting some of the feedback they should have been since only SOME of the people were participating.

I had to take action. I didn't like it, but I had to accept that a big chunk of people had to go... that the groups needed to change.

I merged the active participants all into one group HOPING that they'll get a little more chatty and active now that there is a new mix of people.

This class isn't just about individuals working on ideas... it's equally about the synergy of artists...how new ideas can BLOOM with a little "watering" from other artists.... that sharing of ideas between artists help ALL involved and that sharing versus competiting is something that we should strive for in the bead community.

I didn't intend to have a workshop where people make something based on my assignment and then they dwell on it on their own and post it for people to "oooh and aaaah" over. If they want "ooohing and aaaaaahing" there are plenty of newsgroup show and tells where they can do that. My workshop is for really putting yourself out there.... being open to someone suggesting some new ways of looking at your work. NOT criticizing it, but giving you another set (or 15) of eyes that see things you don't see in your own work.

In order to make this work, however, everyone HAS TO TALK!!!!! The group doesn't necessarily have to be chatty all the time in the "wall" section of the group, but REALLY talking about the assignment and ideas is imperative for this to reach its potential.

SO... I have now re-grouped everyone who was participating and committed via message to me that they are all the way IN. They're all in one group together now. And I'm crossing my fingers, hoping and praying that it works this time.

I'm really proud of the concept and of the inspiration that it's been to the people who have participated in it. I think it's helped people look at their own work from a different perspective and has lit a spark under them... AND has made work that looks like NO other beads out there in bead world, proving that there IS something new under the sun and that the people who say "it's all been done" as a justification of their unoriginality are full of it and copping out.

SO.... we'll see what happens now. I'm excited, but cautiously so. I was feeling a lot of disappointment the past 4 weeks watching people drop out, not participate.... but I'm hoping that the half that are left will gel and do wonderful things together.

ok... enough of a rant. It wasn't too bad.... right???


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - Cinnamon Dolce Latte

music - my long long long long long mellow playlist. right now I'm listening to Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes which is such a beautiful song.

Happy Wednesday to me!!

I have nothing to talk about... truly! (editor's note - guess I did. But I always find SOMETHING to talk about!)

I didn't make beads last night. I have no idea why. I had a chance to... 2 full hours of no-kid time and I just couldn't budge. SO frustrated with myself!

I've been told that I'm hung up on making art and I just need to accept that maybe I should just be "making" right now until I can get past the paralyzation part.... that I need stock for the show and I need to not put myself in a stressful situation because of that.

I just feel like a hypocrite about that though! If I'm the one teaching people to be artists... how can I accept just being a maker???

hrumph! I hate this!!!!!


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - much needed Cinnamon Dolce Latte... very yummy!

music - Annie Lennox Diva. I'm adding some songs from it to my big mellow playlist, but decided to listen to the whole album. This used to be one of my "go-to" beadmaking albums in 2002. Just remembered that. Maybe this will spur me to dive into the studio.

Tuesday's blog post is postponed (can you say post and postponed in the same sentence? I guess so!) until after I finish in the studio today.

What that means is that I MUST MAKE A BEAD in order to make said journal entry.

wish me luck!

I'll report back later!


---- well, it didn't happen ----------

Monday Monday Monday...

SLEEPY Monday.

I didn't get enough sleep last night due to severe weather alerts going off several times during the night. It put me on edge and I didn't get enough sleep. (so this will be short and not so witty!)

I had a wonderfully artsy weekend... not beady, but artsy. We went back to the art show yesterday (both kids went this time) and had a GREAT time talking to the artists that my oldest was excited about... he wanted to go back so that he could buy things from the 3 people he'd really liked.

(I thought it was funny that one of his top 3 was the ONLY glass beadmaker there!)

She wasn't quite as chatty w/ him as I'd sort of hoped. I made a point of telling her that he had specifically wanted to come back to the show to buy something from her. I know that would matter to me.... that a TEENAGE BOY liked my work enough to get his mom to bring him back to the show to buy something with his own money.. but she was a little withdrawn (not rude at all... just quiet and a big contrast to the other 2 artists)..... and I have to be very very honest and say that my ego was a bit bruised that my name didn't ring a bell to her. I KNOW that's stupid... but it's true. It's not like I'm Oprah! Or Corina! BUT this wasn't about me... it was about my kid wanting to spend his OWN money on art... which I thought was the coolest thing in the world.

He took his brother back to see the other 2 artists, who happened to be from the Atlanta area (the bead artist wasn't). I made it a point to tell both of them that it was my son's idea to come back... that their work had appealed to him that much that we would drive back from the burbs just to see them. Maybe that's silly, but that really would have mattered to me, so I thought it might to them. And it did. Both artists spent time talking to him, and his brother about their artwork. Answering nosy questions (like "is that your REAL name? or did you change it to James Dean since he was famous??" OMG...mom rolls her eyes at 11 yr old son)

But both painters were SO enthusiastic about my kids.... they each walked away with free art... art that they had every intention of paying for, but that the artist's refused to let them. It was wonderful for them to see that sort of enthusiasm, gratitude for THEIR enthusiasm, and generosity.... both the generosity of the gift, but also the generosity of their time.

We are looking forward to seeing both these artists at future shows. I know that my boys have both become collectors now. They have 2 artists that they will follow forever. I know my kids and these 2 artists will become a part of their lives, as they will be the pieces that their art collections are built upon.

So... thank you thank you thank you to these 2 artists...

James Dean

and Maria-Louise Coil


In other news... I'll save it for tomorrow. I'm feeling a bit bummed that almost half of my students from the FYV workshops this round haven't responded when I sent out an "ARE YOU IN???" email. I was having such a lack of participation, I asked for a direct commitment from them and got responses from a little over half of them.... that bums me out in a big way.

BUT maybe more of them will respond today.... maybe ????


tiny blah blah blah...

One last cup of coffee from Holly!! YAY!!!

coffee - Cinnamon Dolce Latte

music - Dave FM. The kids forgot to return my ipod to my purse. bummer

A new day... a little sunnier.

I went on a creative field-trip today to the Atlanta Dogwood Festival with my oldest son. He has a true appreciation for art (both my boys do, but the oldest is a bit more into looking and talking about art than the youngest is). It's always fun to see what catches his eye and I think it's pretty cool that he can tell from far away what pieces I'm going to like.

So, we toured the show taking in all the visual inspiration and there really were a LOT of things that caught my eye. My favorites were a a really whimsical painter/sculptor that did rubenesque asian women and another woman who did quirky little mosaic pieces. Of COURSE I came home thinking they'd have a list of vendors on the dogwood festival website.... but noooooooo. SO I need to try to find out WHO these people were, so that I can find them again if a truckload full of money makes a delivery at my house. :)

I DID buy a print by my favorite painter though. I've wanted one for 6 years (or more?) and I don't spend money on art casually. I only buy pieces that are really special to me. So, after pondering this purchase for all these years, I bought a giclee print from Bruce Holwerda. There were 2 pieces I was interested in (having viewed his website constantly for all these years, I knew them by name when I walked into the booth... he probably thinks I'm a stalker!), but he only had one of them at the show.

SO... I am now the proud owner of a giclee print of "The Elusive Ruby-Throated Humming Bird" which is, as you can see, not a bird painting.... but a really quirky, whimsical, dark and weird portrait of a woman.


I love his work because you see their "thoughts".... and I so relate to the chaos that is going on in their heads. They all have a sort-of peaceful look...while everything is going on behind the scenes. Very me. (although I'm probably not as serene looking as they are!)


There is something akin in his work to my "big-haired girls" that I've made... and the vessel that has the face that I use as the image for the FYV classes. I think that if you could see the inner workings of those girls heads... what's under the big hair.... Mr. Holwerda's paintings would be inside.



My favorite piece (above) is called "Our Lady of Perpetual Confusion" and I don't think that a name of a painting would ever be MORE fitting for me than that one. Hopefully, I'll be able to add it to my collection someday. He still sells that one on the website.

So... thank you Bruce Holwerda for making art that speaks to me.


(I don't usually post on Saturday, but I had to share my purchase!!)


tiny blah blah blah... will be back Monday!

It's Friday.... and I'm a teary mess.

I use the analogy a lot of times that I am a Dairy Queen Dip Cone... and I'm truly feeling like it today. I was feeling like it yesterday too... and the day before.... and the day before...

but it seems that the inner ice-cream is getting meltier and the chance of the cracks happening causing a big mess is getting more likely. I'll survive... I always do, but BOY am I a mess today.


I NEED to make beads.... but don't want to.... and I can't really say why because I don't KNOW why.

Art and emotion are such screwy things. I was saying to someone the other day (and I can't remember who... it might have been Holly... hi Holly) that this blog has been sort of on auto-pilot for the past few months because I couldn't REALLY say when things were good or bad... and that goes with being an artist.

ANYWAYS... I avoided any sort of emotional talk here for the last few years and that's been hard because emotions are SO attached to art... when it's really art and not craft. And this being a blog about art without being able to talk about anything emotional has really been tough for me. Sometimes, even in the way-way past I sometimes danced around the emotional and didn't "bare all" here, but the emotions and how I felt about stuff in life usually made its way into my blog... because it has a real effect on my work... for the good and for the bad.

SO..just because I'm laying it all out there.... something emotional is paralyzing me and keeping me away from my studio. I have no idea what... but maybe it's that I truly fear I've lost the ART part of what my hands know how to do. That I know how to make hand-crafted objects, but I don't have any ART to make.

I've got the emotion... so that part is covered... but how do I pull this emotion into my work is the question. And how do I get past the paralyzation that I'm feeling about all this??

I know that in the past my art came through in my work unintentionally. The mood of the things I made always depended on what I was seeking in life. Usually they weren't conveying MY mood, but rather what I was seeking. My first beads... the very serene mermaids and fairies had this beauty and serenity that I as a new mom did not have. It continued to be something I didn't have as I went through the chaotic times of supporting a family on beads.

My work changed into the real whimsical beads with fun little faces when I was in one of my very darkest times ever. Looking at that work, you'd think that I was happy happy happy... and the truth was the farthest from that as it could possibly be. After that work was developed and I was a bit happier... I was more a manufacturer of it and no longer doing the ART part of making beads, so it wasn't really my emotion coming through... it was just me making beads I'd already moved through the ART stage (I have NO idea if this makes sense to anyone but me... but even here... especially here... it's MY blog and I'm the only one I have to make sense to). ANWAYS... It's when my work morphs into something new that I'm usually bringing emotion into it. The between times are the craft (which is not a bad thing... it's just a different thing)

THEN my work moved into the angel faces I made (similar to the one on the vessel, but a little softer and prettier) that became the Halo Neckpiece. My life was chaotic again and I wanted peace. It's so obvious now, but at the time, it was just what I felt like making.... it was emotion coming back into my work again making art instead of just making beads.

And then I tried to make the whimsical stuff again... my Splish Splash mermaids (boy... this is all just hitting me as I write it) which were that same happy-faced stuff mixed with the serene beauty of my original mermaids... sort of morphing them together..... and then my hands just stopped.

They wouldn't let me make beads anymore. They shook so hard that I couldn't hold a mandrel. They knew all the things that were going on in life around me that I didn't know.... or wouldn't admit that I knew..... and I couldn't find a way to make the things that production was requiring me to. WOW... this is a total epiphany moment for me.... that it was those beads... the Splish Splash beads, that my hands wouldn't let me make.... and STILL won't let me make.

It took a while, but I know now why my hands shake and I hate that emotion has that kind of physical power over me, but it does and it shows itself through shaking hands.... which kills my medium of expression. It's pretty difficult to hold a mandrel in the flame when my hands are flying all over the place.... so I don't even try. So.. what was it, is it, about those beads that's shutting me down... because I know as I write this that it is THOSE beads that are messing with me.

Because when I go to the studio, intending to make those beads... I make safe happy little mermaids or boring spacer beads.... and I don't get anything ELSE made because I'm so wrapped up in why I can't make those Splish Splash pieces.

SO...what am I supposed to be making? What does my heart want to be making??? I don't know. I NEED to make something.... I just don't know what. I need to be able to bring the emotion to the "canvas" of the glass, without letting my subconscious tell my hands what to do.... because right now that subconscious is saying DON'T MAKE BEADS.

and that's a bad bad thing for it to be saying one and a half months before Bead and Button.

(boy... I didn't intend to say all that here! I might erase it later.... not sure.... aren't you glad you subscribed??? LOL)


so... time for the tiny blah blah blah.....

Coffee - oh yeah! Cinnamon Dolce Latte, a gift from Holly (www.hollysfolly.com) Thank you Holly!!!

Music - Trying to get myself in a Friday mood, so it's the playlist called New Groove - right now it's Outkast - The Way You Move.... and NOW it's Mika's Grace Kelly which is such a FUN song. It might feel like Friday by the end of the song. :)

Have a great Friday everyone! I promise to be a little more together by Monday!! (ok... maybe I shouldn't PROMISE... I'll TRY.)

Happy Thursday to Me!!!!!! (and you too)

and I'm going to take a total risk and say Happy STRESS FREE Thursday to us all!!!

I hate to have invited you to this party and have nothing to say, but I'm really feeling quiet today. I wish I had exciting stuff to talk about, but I don't. Phooey!

But sometimes NOT exciting is good... maybe perfect for a stress-free Thursday!

Things I've realized that are sort of bummers about the new blog...

1. My quest to take over the world has to end. sniff sniff. Sorry Pinkie. We can only have 100 readers. (what happens then???? I've had more than 100 in the past, so I'm wondering about this)

2. I can't be a result on bizarre google searches like Kroger Whimsical Whoopies anymore! That's sad.



Ok... those were the bad things of the day...

There is a good thing too. 3 people on Lampwork Etc. said absolutely wonderful things about me being an influence in their beadmaking. They made me cry. It's good to hear things like that sometimes and was especially important for me this week. So thank you if you are here reading!!


okie dokie... that's it for today.

Tiny blah blah blah is a bit boring today....

no coffee - I had a coke from McDonalds with a Sausage McMuffin instead. Some days are just trashy drive-thru days.

music - no music either! I'm still listening to my sappy audiobooks. :)

Happy Wednesday!!!!

It's FINALLY looking like spring in my neighborhood. NO rain scheduled for today (hopefully no surprise rain either!)

It's flip flop season and all is right with the world. :)


Thanks for sticking with me, those of you who have taken the time to subscribe. It makes me happy to know you guys are around.


Today's beady schedule will include adding beads to the website (FINALLY)...

What website you asked??? Well, I'm glad you asked. The one I've been keeping SECRET... my new seed-bead site!!!!!

I used to sell seed-beads through ebay and did fairly well at it. It's not my FAVORITE part of bead business... bagging tiny quantities of beads, BUT it allows me to keep hundreds of colors of beads I love at my fingertips AND helps with some bread and butter money. It's a good add-on for my beadwork kits.

Well... my site is called Saybeads.com It's named for my sister, Sarah, nicknamed Say because it's my SISTER SITE. Get it? The 2 sites Sylviebeads.com and Saybeads.com are linked together, but separate businesses. The site is GORGEOUS, thanks again to Ginny from Design and Detail.

It just needs to get stocked with beads!!! It's a LOT of data entry getting all 180ish colors listed. I actually have over 220 colors, but I only have 180 photographed right now.The other 40ish will have to wait.

SO... Saybeads is the focus of the day.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!!

I'm on my way to get coffee, so I'll fill in the tiny blah blah blah in a bit....



I'm back!!! Here is the tiny blah blah blah.....

brought to me again by Holly of Holly's Folly

Coffee - Yummy Cinnamon Dolce Latte! Thank you Holly!!!!!

Music - music is on hold... I'm in an audio books mood and re-"reading" some old ones. All chick lit... light and fluffy romance-y stuff. This one is Match Me if You Can by Susan Isaacs.

It's a new day and a new blog!

Relocated to better suit your needs. (and mine)

Please pardon our mess while we're under construction...

(ok... we're not really under-construction here, but I just felt like a shop at the mall when I wrote those last 2 sentences.)



It was necessary to make a few changes. I hate that I had to go on a subscription basis, but such is life. We'll have a lot more fun at this party knowing that there aren't any uninvited guests.

(editor's note: there was a time when the blog went subscription only...it's obviously no longer that format)

I used to go to this quirky little store a long time ago (the name of it was Whimbles... you Atlanta people might have heard of it). It was located next to a mini-mall that had a huge parking lot. The back door of the shop opened up to where the big parking lot was. The FRONT of the store was on a pretty busy road without on-street parking. This little shop had no real parking lot, from what I can remember. It was a pain to park there because you couldn't park in the mini-mall lot. It had "we tow" signs everywhere.

ANYWAYS... the back of the store was painted with this little story about how a Troll lived next door to this fairy land and had a big empty parking lot that could have helped people get to the fairyland, but instead it liked to have cars that parked in his parking lot towed. She never actually called the troll the landlord of the adjacent mall, but you knew exactly who she was speaking about. I always thought that was funny. Funny and a good jab at her troll.

(editor's note: it only makes sense to a few of you who read this posting before it was edited what that story had to do with ANYTHING... but it's still a cute story just the same)

SO... welcome to the new and improved and lighter and fluffier Sylviebead Journal.

I'm glad you're here!!! And I can say that with all honesty. If you are reading this, then I know that I wanted you here for the party!

And we're gonna party................


here we go......

The BIG FAT BLAH BLAH BLAH of today......


Today's Coffee was a gift to me from Holly. Holly thank you SO very much. YOU ROCK!!!!! Thank you for all your support in the FYV class too. I really do appreciate you being my cheerleader. YAY! Holly!!! (check out Holly's website... www.Hollysfolly.com)

Coffee - Cinnamon Dolce Latte with Whipped cream. I actually had TWO of these today. My dad bought me coffee later in the day. So thank you Dad (even though I know he doesn't read my blog)

Music - actually I didn't listen to any music today. I was finishing my audiobook Undomestic Goddess. I loved it (again). I'm funny like that... I can read a book and remember it, but forget enough to enjoy reading it again and again and again as long as I wait at least a year between reads.

Something I'm thankful for.... Friends. I truly have the best friends in the world. From the GGMs (my version of the Ya Ya Sisterhood) to my other wonderful friends (both in-person and online ones). YOU are the reason that I missed blogging the past week. I love having a way to talk to all of you at once. Thank you for listening. :)

I don't feel like blogging.

I hate that I am feeling that way... for the most part, I have always loved this blog and loved having a way to communicate what was going on with me in the studio and often personally. It was a great place for catharsis after my house-fire and has been a way I kept my customers up to date with what I was making, as well as a soap-box for talking about creative topics that sometimes were touchy.

It's been my line of communication with the bead-world and others as well and I've really enjoyed having this medium with which to communicate.

The intention was to always talk about art, but art is personal and it was almost impossible for me to leave my life out of things here. For the most part, I didn't leave out my personal life. I stopped blogging when things were MUCH too personal (2003 and 2007) and came back only when I knew I had art-stuff to talk about. It's hard to keep life out of the blog, however. I've tried and I honestly do a really good job of keeping things that don't need to be here out of here, BUT at the same time, I've found myself censoring SO much of what I want to say... not because it's anything bad, but because there are people that I really don't always want to include in my conversations.... even when they're celebratory ones.

If you had a grumpy neighbor, you wouldn't invite him or her out to drinks to celebrate your successes.... and I'm feeling that way here.

There are days that I want to do the happy dance, but only with people who I know would TRULY want to celebrate with me. And I know that's not the case with all the readers here.... and it's made me really uncomfortable writing and being myself here.... and I hate that.

It's really funny that this is a very public forum where I know what I write is read... so in effect, I've always been "watched". BUT I also KNOW I'm being watched (not in a good way) and even though I don't talk about things I shouldn't.... it totally messes with me knowing that people who don't need to be reading this blog are still reading it.

I've wrestled with the idea of putting the blog on a "subscription only " basis and I'd hate that for my REAL readers and I'd hate it for me as well. I'm just not sure at this point.

SO... until I feel otherwise, the blog is on hiatus.

Here's the tiny blah blah blah for the next month....

I'll be thanking Keith all month for my coffee (thank you bunches and bunches!!)

and I'll most likely be listening to my long mellow playlist on the ipod....which is still in desperate need of update. There are SO many songs that I need to add!!! I even have a gift-card to do it!!!

Tuesday

Quiet Day... not much to say.

Shocked????

I don't even have any REAL tiny blah blah blah!!! (gasp!)


Tiny blah blah blah- not even worth bothering writing, but I will...

coffee - no. Decided a coke sounded better. Southern Girl Breakfast of Champions.

music - no. Found my ipod, but listening to an audio book. One I've listened to before, but I was in the mood to hear it again (started it last week and had to discontinue due to misplaced ipod)

Happy Monday World!!!

It really is a pretty happy Monday for me. A quiet one, and a COLD one, but a nice one.

Beady News....

Today is going to be BEADMAKING-O-RAMA when I get home. I plan on making lots of little heads and feet for Head Over Heels... let's hope I can stay on-task.

Finding Your Voice class news...

We're 3 weeks in and I've got about 2/3 of the people participating. It's so funny how groups either come together or don't. I can't control synergy, but it's a really interesting element of these classes. I'm watching one class really bond and the other just start to. They needed a bit of a kick-start I think. I just think it's an interesting phenomenon.... artists working together... it's usually a solitary thing, beadmaking, so this is a change for them I'm sure. It takes some getting used to, letting yourself open-up to other people's ideas. Hopefully they're all enjoying the class. It's hard for me sometimes because I love the in-person interaction between people in this class... I'm trying to come up with words for my frustration, but I'm not able to right now.

I love the assignment they have this week, so I'm hoping they all dive-in and really really really open up to each other. On this assignment it's especially important. Hopefully the assignment's tone will lead them that way without my pushing them.


That's it for today. I'm hoping that my weather gets springy again. I don't like cold weather in the spring. It's supposed to be pretty and flowery... not 30 degrees! (which it isn't right now, but I heard it might be!!)


tiny blah blah blah....

Today's tiny blah blah blah is brought to me by Keith and a belated, but very appreciated birthday present. Thank you Cinnamon-Dolce-Daddy! You picked the perfect gift!!!!!

coffee - yummy Cinnamon Dolce Latte which is GREAT for this cold day

music - still listening to the radio Dave FM... Not that I don't enjoy Mara Davis, but I wish I could figure out where my kid put m ipod! I'm REALLY going to need it in the studio tonight!

Happy Friday Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm back after my day off. It was a joyous day of doctor appointments and check ups. FUN FUN FUN... if you know me, you know that this would NOT be rated as one of my favorite days of the year, so I didn't expect to be cheery and bloggy yesterday. I expected to be passed out on the floor after a blood-test. I'm SUCH a chicken about that!!!

I survived my medical stuff with flying colors and I'm back to non-chickeny stuff today.

The high point of my day yesterday was that I got deodorant for 19 cents!!!!! woo hoo!!! It wasn't for me though. I've been watching for killer coupon deals on things that can be donated to the food-pantry because they also need stuff like soap/shampoo and deodorant. I'm amazed how much of that stuff ends up cheap or free with coupons!!!

But THAT is the topic for a whole 'nother blog. This one is about beads (and coffee and music and whatever else I want to talk about, so I guess it COULD be about bargains if I wanted it to... but I don't)

SO... in beady news.... I am about to have a FULL WEEK of beadmaking!!!! It's spring break and I'm a single girl in a house by myself for 9 days... I will be making beads, working out and GOING OUT!!!!!!! I'm looking forward to a week of "me" time.

Hopefully I'll have lots of beady news for you all next week!!!

Happy Friday everyone! See you Monday!!!!!

tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - nope. It was a Dr. Pepper morning. I DO have my coffee sponsorship lined up for a while though... I'll talk about that next week... today was sponsored by me however... I'm a Pepper! Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too??? (that was a cute commercial)

music - listening to Dave FM today. Can't find where the kids stashed my ipod. Today's Radio Free Lunch w/ Mara Davis has a "touchy feelie" theme because of the Queen's interaction with Mrs. Obama. Just listened to Hard to Handle by the Black Crows. I'm hoping for Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' by Journey... but I'm not thinking it's going to be included unless it's the Daily Cheese...and it's probably not quite as cheesy as "Can't Touch This"

Woo Hoo it's Wednesday!!!!!!

I know I write "woo hoo" all the time, but I miss saying it.

I used to say it in my classes all the time. It made my students laugh. This made me think of a funny story that I'd like to tell, but alas... cannot. But I CAN tell you another one about "woo hoo" A friend of mine sent me one of those quizzy things and in it the question was "what's your favorite expression" and mine was... of course... "WOO HOO!" He said, upon receiving the email.... "I think the question meant an expression that you actually say!" And I said, "what do you mean???? I SAY "woo hoo!!" whenever I am presented the opportunity!!" He rolled his eyes. I didn't see it... but I know he did.

ANYWAY... I miss teaching wonderful people who help my sparkle and give me lots of chances to say "woo hoo" when I'm excited for them.

and on that note....... I get to sparkle in June!!!!!!!! It's for sure a real deal thing now!!!

I got my confirmation from Bead and Button... paid my big kahuna payment for my booth and I'm a vendor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!

If you're marking your show guides, please mark booth 110 (aisle 1...first booth on your left) as MINE!!!!!

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!

(have I said that enough yet???)

this was super short... I have other stuff to tend to today and can't be here long.


Have a Wonderful Woo-Hoo-filled Wednesday!

I'll be gone tomorrow, but will be back Friday.


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - brought to me by ME again today (but am lining up sponsors for next week! YAY!!) Cinnamon Dolce latte, which was perfect for a grey rainy day.

music - none!!! My kids snagged my ipod last night and I forgot to get it back before I went to work! :(