Strep Throat Thursday. :(

I'm home for the 3rd day with a sick kid. That's kind of put a monkey wrench in the beady progress... but that's also part of being mom. Bad thing is that once they told me it was strep throat, MY throat started hurting. Hopefully it's just something that's in my head and not real. HOPEFULLY.

I have been working on my website though! I have things in my store now!!!!! And I've got more stuff on its way. I've been taking inventory in the studio and then editing photos to make things fit the etsy format (etsy.com is the website where my stuff is listed. I'm adding a link in the sidebar here.)

So even though we're home sick, there is still beady news. I even did a little beading last night, working on my Head Over Heels revival sample. It's cute. :)

tiny blah blah blah...

Coffee - nope. It's a tea day. We stopped on the way home from the Dr. at a place that has great iced tea because that was the request of the sick child.

Music - nope. We're watching re-runs of The Big Bang Theory on Tivo. He seems to appreciate the smart boy humor.

Happy Wednesday World!!!!

I don't really have a lot to say today on the beady-front. (editor's note... apparently I did have a lot to say!!) I am SLOWLY getting stuff organized and ready to make a "comeback". I said yesterday that I'm a bit nervous. It's going to be hard breaking my way in again. Ebay sales have been slow for a lot of beadmakers and there is a new site etsy.com that a lot of them are selling through now. I really don't know how etsy works, so that's going to take a little research. It looks really cool, though and there are lots of different types of artists selling there. I like that. Etsy is actually about art and ebay is about... well just about anything. BUT ebay has been "beddy beddy good to me" (said in my best Saturday Night Live voice)

BUT... I've been out of the picture for 2 years now and bead customers can be a very fickle group. As Heidi Klum on Project Runway says "one day you're in and the next you're out" (I can't type in a german accent, so you'll just have to imagine she was saying that). There have been times that my beads sold for LOTS on ebay and times where I felt I was giving them away.

I don't intend on giving them away. I'm manifesting success (said kind of tongue in cheek - I have been listening to "The Secret" and am TRYING to make all things in my life take a positive spin) in my bead business. We'll just have to see where the best venue for that is.

I'm trying to figure out the best schedule for everything at the same time. I need time to design projects, because that's a big part of what I do every year... come up with something NEW for my beady students/customers, while at the same time making glass pieces that I love AND sell (which can be tricky... not everything I love to make sells). For instance... I LOVE the piece that is currently on my website, but it's not really what people want when they are looking for my work. I made myself into "the mermaid lady" and it's hard for some people to see past that.

I've been so inspired by art, though... paintings, sculpture, ancient glass, etc. and I want to bring those inspirations into my work as well... and that doesn't always mean mermaids, so I'm going to need to make sure I have studio time for myself... just to explore new things that make ME smile.

My my my... I'm very "chatty today"!!


ok... time for the tiny blah blah blah and then off to the dentist! (which isn't so bad... they have laughing gas for people who are chicken like me!)

Coffee - homemade!!!!!!!!! with tiaramisu (I have no idea how to spell that) creamer. First I had hot, then poured it on ice and took it on the road.

Music - my ipod playlist called "Music for a Chick Flick" which is just a mix of stuff that either I know has been in a chick flick OR should be!!!

The Bead and Button Blues

Here we are almost half way through the month of May and I'm bluesin' (I guess that's not a word... spellcheck didn't like it, but I'm going to officially make it a word from now on).

For years, this was one of the weeks that I was cramming for Bead and Button. It was a total adrenaline pumping, full-out beadmaking work-out that lasted a couple of months, but the last 2 weeks of May were the craziest.

And here I sit with my biggest challenge this week being how do I get one kid to football practice while the other needs to go to an orchestra concert. Quite a change. (I would have had those challenges PLUS how to make inventory and get ready for the show, so I guess I should be thankful for the reprise.)

But I miss Bead and Button. I miss that connection with people who were buying my work. Meeting them face to face and getting that Sally Field moment..... "You like me! You really like me!" that came when I had something that sold really well, or that people brought back things they'd made with my beads the past year.

I miss that. A LOT.

I got an e-mail from a friend this week (hey friend!) that is also a former Bead and Button vendor. She was asking me if I'd like to go next year as an attendee... that she missed just being at the show.

I really WANT to go. In fact, I was trying to figure out how I could do it this year, BUT the more I think about it, the more I know I'll be sad when I'm there as a shopper. I'll miss being the one on the other side of the table.... talking to my old-friends... my customers that came back year after year.

I miss that. A LOT.

It's time to find my way back there again. I have NO idea how I'm going to balance things, but if I miss something THIS much, it's something I need to find a way to do. Whether I can make it onto the wait-list is a whole 'nother thing. But I need to work this year and try to find a way to be back on the other side of the table again.

ok... enough bluesin' for today. I have a TON of other more fun stuff to talk about, but this is not the venue for that. Maybe some day there will be a blog for that too. But I doubt it!!!


Coffee - 2 Venti Cinnamon Dolce Lattes (bad bad girl!)
Music - none. maybe that's my problem!
Fashion report - I have nothing to report on this one either!!! I haven't seen anyone today other than my kids... and I actually could "out" one of them as a Glamor Don't, but I won't.

So, it looks like I'm a blogger again, huh? I'm not sure why I'm compelled to spill my guts to the internet world, but I think I just need to write every once in a while and this is a good format to do it.

Nothing real beady to say today. I haven't cleaned out my studio from seed-bead mania (more on that in a second), so there were no beads made this weekend.

Seed bead mania - While I was stockpiling beads for my mermaid kits in 2005, I realized that I had almost as many, if not way more seed bead colors than most bead stores. That led to my selling packaged seed beads by the gram on my web-site in addition to the kits I was selling. This was a big venture and I invested more money in it than I probably should have (though I made the money back).

It was VERY time consuming, however and when I took a break from beadmaking, I tried to keep up the seed bead end of things for a little while, but my heart wasn't in it, nor did I have the time, so I closed that portion of my store as well.

The point of this is that when I had stopped making beads a couple of years ago and continued to do the seed bead merchandising, the seed beads took over my studio. So, right now in my studio are BOXES of seed beads and they are all over the place, including in my glass area. In order to make beads again, I have to clear out those seed-beads and get organized. I HATE getting organized, as anyone who knows me well can attest to.

In the past I'd barter with people to come organize for me.... trading classes or beads for cleaning/organizing. Right now I don't have the means to do that since I'm not teaching and I don't have any beads to trade (other than seed beads which I have TONS of), so I'm going to have to get motivated and clean my own studio!!! UGH!!!!

At least I have motivation now... I know I can make beads again. I spent 2 years not knowing if I could or not. I didn't talk about this in my earlier posts, but I had something going 2 years ago that made my hands tremble and shake to the point that I couldn't make even the simplest of beads. It was SO frustrating because they couldn't trace the cause of it. It eventually got a bit better, but at the same time other life events took the forefront, I took a full-time "real job" and beadmaking just became something that I "used" to do.

In the back of my mind I wondered if I could return to beadmaking, if my shaking had subsided enough to try, but I was afraid. I really really didn't want to sit down at the torch and find out that I had lost the ability forever. I had people say "oh, you could make organic beads, things that don't require as much control," but I didn't want to. I wanted to make what I wanted to make... girly, detailed beads. And if I couldn't do that, it was going to be a big disappointment. And I'd had too much disappointment last year. I didn't need something bringing me down, reminding me of my weaknesses when I was fighting so hard to be strong and independant.

So I didn't even try. I hate to say it, because I'd never want my kids to have that attitude, but I didn't want to try something that I wasn't going to be totally successful at. People said "do it because you love it, not because you're perfect at it," but that wasn't working... I WANTED to be perfect or not to do it at all. Thinking of not being able to make beads was depressing, so I didn't think about it at all.

A month or so ago I decided that it was time to try. To at least see if it was a possibility. I'd spent more than 10 years of my life as a beadmaker and I didn't like the idea of just disappearing off the map because of something that wasn't my choice. But I was really afraid of failure. My hands still shake, (not nearly as much though) and I didn't know if I'd be successful or not. I had no idea if I'd be able to make a dot bead, let alone a bead with a lot of embellishment like most of my beads were. I knew I'd have to clean my studio before I tried, so I kept procrastinating.

I finally decided that I'd have to go about it different route. I'd rent studio time through the Southern Flames (local glass bead group) and since I was reserving space and paying for it, it would make me go, the same way that having a trainer at the gym makes me show up. It gives some sort of accountability, no procrastination allowed.

I called and reserved a space and found out that there wasn't torch-time that weekend, but Beads by Design, the beadstore that hosts the torch-time, generously let me use their space for the day and let me try making beads again. YAY!!!!

I tried little beads first... just dots... and I could do it with no problem!!! My dots were as straight as they ever were and even though I was shaking a little, it wasn't really an issue. I moved on and decided to go for it and make a fairy. I got my stringer colors mixed and just went for it! YAY! It worked... no problems!! So then I tried a mermaid... and again, no problems! I was on auto-pilot and was able to do all the same things I used to do.

I didn't try anything huge like one of the mermaid torsos for Splish Splash. Those took SO much time and energy and control, I didn't want to risk it when I'd had such a good day. I can't even begin to tell you (whoever you are) what a big deal it was that I could make beads again! It changed my outlook on life SO much. Not that I was moping around... I definitely haven't had a moping year. BUT I hadn't felt like an artist and this let me see that there was that possibility still out there.

SO, this is what brought me back to my blog. The hopes that I'll be beadmaking again. The accountability of saying it "out loud" with the internet universe listening. I updated my website so that there might be people that looked at this blog and said "so where are the beads??!!" at some point. I'm hoping that saying I'm GOING to make beads will make me clean up my studio and get busy!

I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I'll just check in and talk about whatever floats my boat and keep everyone informed what coffee I'm drinking and music I'm listening to!

Stay tuned....

Beads Made - Zero
Coffee Today - Venti 3 pump Cinnamon Dolce Latte with Whip (which I really need to give up!)
Music - NOTHING! aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! I forgot my ipod, so it's way too quiet!

Hello world, it's Wednesday.

I have to say after reviewing my earlier happy dance posts that I am TIRED...all that dancing wears a girl out!

No seriously, I'm worn out. Good sales breed tired beadmaker/beadseller/bead enterprise CEO/Bead inventory Foreperson/Bead Website Design Diva and all the other hats I wear. If it wasn't for Marie, I would have collapsed by now.

I am so happy to have a thriving business, but SO SO tired because I've been working constantly since the beginning of January. A couple of nights ago I sat in front of the TV and did absolutely nothing and it felt weird. I'm so used to multi-tasking and almost always working on something that it just felt weird. I've been trying to knit or something else just to keep myself from working 17 hour days, but it's tough.

That sounds horrible, and I truly love what I do. I'm just tired, that's all.

AND my website is pittifully out of date. Must get help with that too I think. I'm going to call someone who might be able to help...just had brain lightbulb thing go off.

starbucks - Venti 3 pump Cinnamon Dulce Latte which is delicious and when they discontinue it (and I know they will since it was a Valentines thing)I'm just going to die a coffe-less death. So until then...Carpe Coffee :)

My last posting sounded pretty ecstatic. It was. The good and bad of that are good...lots of sales, bad lots of tired. So lots of ups and downs since that post. Mostly up, but I'm tired!

I was listening to James Taylor today, though and heard the song "That's why I'm here" and it struck home...mermaids mermaids mermaids. That's why I'm here I think...to make people smile and such with what I do. A nice aha moment for the day.

No big crowds or big bucks like JT, but just an overall happiness with the approval I got from this project.

:)ing

coffee - cinnamon dolce latte which is totally delicious
music - James Taylor

WHOOOPEEEE!

They like me they really like me!!!

(splish splash mermaid is a big success and I'm a happy camper!)

Much more exciting than the Gap selling talls, though that is pretty darn exciting!

off to work,

coffee - no, stomach is sick, so having a coke (and a smile)
music - my playlist on ipod called "if I were a radio station" has TONS of songs with no rhyme or reason that I like. You might hear aerosmith and then carly simon and then beck...you just never know what's going to pop up. very fun

I feel like I'm spinning my wheels a lot lately in my beadmaking/beading. It's frustrating and I had to vent here.

I have so many balls up in the air right now, that they are bound to all fall on my head and cause a concussion.

coffee - shouldn't have, but did - Mocha
Music - wish I had it, could use it today, but am doing office work sans ipod.

Not necessarily pertinent (sp?) here, but must say that my new favorite thing is My Name is Earl. It cracks me up over and over again. I've been Tivo-ing it so that I can watch it more than once. I have added many Joy-isms to my vocabulary, however I haven't found a way to use "boob glitter" in my every day venacular. LOL


--------
posting number 2 from today.

Am now sure that I am certifiable. Watch out e-bay seed bead sellers, I'm on my way! After visiting a store today who told me "make sure you check out all our seed beads (and they had MAYBE 30 colors...I could be exaggerating, but I think so), I went home and counted mine.....I AM a beadstore times a gazillion! I have 24 columns 10 or more tubs high each...over 250 I'm sure, colors/sizes of seed beads in my very own basement.

So, having thought of this for a while, I went to e-bay tonight and there are only a very few people selling seed beads! wow! I had already decided to add them to my storefront as just an aside for customers who regularly shop with me to pick up a little bit extra of the colors they liked from my kits. Having seen that there is a big void in seed bead land, however, I'm taking my tiny beadies to e-bay! Am in process of photographing the 250 some-odd varieties of japanese seed beads currently residing in my basement and will soon be a bonafide online beadstore! whoa! that's scary!

way behind in blogging and in life.

Had a tough month so far, but seem to be returning to normal.

I'm really really hoping that January turns into a much more profitable work month. I've been working so hard designing and making samples that I haven't SOLD anything!! It's the tough part of what I do. If I was a bead maker, pure and simple again, I would just make beads and sell them...voila a business that lasts all the time without starts and stops.

I LOVE doing the seed bead weaving and project designing, though, so I am just going to have to adjust to the ups and downs OR give up that portion of what I do.

So, am done whining and will now return to work. I am so glad to be normal again and wanting to work. It was just a crazy crazy month and I'm glad it's back to some form of sanity.

Coffee today - mais oui! I had a starbucks venti 2%, 2 pump mocha. My drink of choice lately.

No music. Am listening to the Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd on CD (well ipod really), so no music played today.

Off to bead...

Sunday...no beadmaking, lots of beadcleaning. My least favorite part of being a beadmaker. My fingers are pruny....though I dried them off a bit to type. :)

Ebay seems to be a tiny bit better for me. I do have those crazy girl prints and I'm proud of them...even if the beads don't sell for as much as they should, I loved doing the prints, so I'll probably do a few each week. Probably not for every auction, but I do like doing it enough to do several a week.

Need to get down to work this week on mermaids...work Sylvie work! For some reason I just haven't been doing that kind of work that I needed to the past few weeks. Not sure why.

Ok, off to finish cleaning beads.

tv, not music today
no starbucks. :(

3 days in a row!!

But who is counting? really?

Well, I'm cooking each day and posting auctions each day, so you never know...I could even blog each day (well, let's not get carried away!)

Am at present, loading Harry Potter CDs onto computer so that I can listen to book6 on my ipod today. Need to escape reality for a while...That's actually how I started the Harry Potter thing in the first place. After 9/11, I was so down and couldn't listen to the radio w/ out bad news and when I listened to my own music, my mind wandered and I got sad again. So...Stephanie who worked at the bead store (where my studio was at the time) brought me the books on tape and it was a great escape.

I've alread read book 6 (the day it came out and the following day actually...was in Las Vegas, bought the book at the airport, read it on the way home, finished it the next day...am a fast reader), but I love listening to the man who reads the books on tape. It adds so much to the story. Unabridged, so you don't miss any real text, but adding character voices makes it so much fun.

Once ipod is loaded am off to make beads (several days in a row...almost...of that too!). I'm a virtual organized/beadmaker! Not!

Have a new auction up with one of my old-school "paintings" that go with it. Her name is Flora Whodunnit and it is very cute if I do say so myself. The picture is a seek and find of all different elements of a bead set. Very fun to create and will have to do more. Wish I had the ones I'd made in 2001 (fire) because they were fun too and it would be great to see them again.

off to make beads...no starbucks, still saving gas...have iced tea (homemade!) instead.

Still blogging...though not daily, much more consistently!

Have been in a more upbeat mood than last posting which was really pretty dreary. Now am fine and am trying to keep ego at bay...not at e-bay. LOL, I'm pretty funny sometimes (she says to herself knowing that this blog is probably not read and that's just ok w/ me)

Have been busy trying to make beads at least 3 times a week...would like to do more, but it's not real practical to think I will. My life is in flux lately trying to be a balance of Mom, wife and beadmaker... new schedule...

Mondays - grocery shop (I know it shouldn't take all day, but somehow it does for me...don't let non-diagnosed ADD people wander down aisles at store...they don't necessarily buy everything, but are distracted by all those boxes, cans, colors!)- see note later re: groceries. Studio office work - photos, photo editing, auction writing...assistant for beadmaking in the afternoon- hooray for Marie!!!

Tuesdays - gym and beadmaking...fairly consistent day.

Wednesdays - office work for my dad and kids sports (sneak in blog posting while at work)

Thursdays - gym and beadmaking...fairly consistent again - hooray for Marie again, assistant for sanity and shipping (I think that's her new title V.P. of Shipping and Sanity)

Fridays - beadmaking and whatever appointment type things get scheduled usually fall on Fridays, so beadmaking can get bumped.

Saturday - kids sports and maybe a little beadmaking

Sunday - church and family...maybe babysitter and date night!

So, seems like a sane schedule. I have to add "computer work" to all the days with posting auctions, keeping up with e-mails etc...

Here is why all the grocery shopping....I'm cooking at home almost every night. Ok, now to some people, that would be completely normal, but my family has eaten out almost everynight since before I had kids...since about 1992? I know it's ridiculous and I've spent a ton of money doing so, but I've just never had a kitchen I was happy cooking in AND I always had an excuse why not to, etc. BUT while shopping for non-cooking items one day at grocery, happened to talk to someone in veggie section (not normal to talk to shoppers, but I commented on her cute kids or something as my 2 monkeys were terrorizing the produce section) she herself was bursting at the seams to tell someone about her new cooking experience...SIX O'Clock Scramble. something she'd seen on Oprah...fast meals that are interesting but also kid tested. I went online, checked it out and decided that I'd try it. Well, I love it!!! I have to kind of commit to doing it once I'm at the grocery store buying all the items for the week (which come on a nice organized non-ADD grocery list). Once I've bought all those things, I think I HAVE to cook the recipes.

So this is week 3 of Six O'Clock Scramble and I'm LOVING IT (did I already say that?) I do. I really enjoy cooking and these recipes are easy, but really varied and yummy. The kids don't really get to comment on "I want this" or "I want that" it's kind of like this unseen authority of meals has dictated that tonight we have "Coconut Chicken" and they have no say in things...they don't say "oh mom" with a whine or anything...it's just "six o'clock scramble" to blame if they don't like it. And honestly, there have only been a few things they didn't like (and if one didn't like it, the other did).

So I have cooked at home for 3 weeks straight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm still trying to figure out if I'm going to save money or not. I'm sure that I will, but I'm still buying some things each week that normal cooking people would automatically have (flour and sugar, salt and pepper...really, I didn't have any which is very sad) But I'm cooking and I'm good!!! Hooray for me.

Coffee du jour - starbucks venti iced hazlenut latte
Music du jour - listening to classical at the office, but at home have been listening to my ipod playlist called "groove tunes" which is mostly r&b old and new from "Leavin on that Midnight Train to GA" and "Super Freak" to Mary J. Blige and Outkast. Very fun to dance in my chair to. :)

I'm a rollercoaster of beady emotion.

I have been so psyched to be back in the beadmaking/bead selling groove again...

HOWEVER...I do not wish to give my beads away!!!!! I feel like I am just about doing that on e-bay right now. What is it that makes someone hot or not is not really what I'm talking about...it's just...why aren't my beads selling at all???? I don't ask to be the darling of e-bay, just to get a price closer to retail...I'm not even NEAR a wholesale price right now. I've only had a couple of auctions not sell EVER, but I've had at least 3 in the last week not sell. waaaaaah!

I probably shouldn't whine publicly, but that's what I'm doing here. waaaaah!

So...do I quit doing e-bay? I just don't know. I just want to pout.

coffee today - oui! Venti Mocha
music today - my "groove tunes" playlist on my ipod. From Tenderness (old school) to Mary J Blige it's my dance in your seat while beadmaking music

Back in the Saddle again.... la la la la la la la.

It's back to semi-normal here. Feeling better...not all the way, but better. Kids are getting ready for school to start next week. I guess I should really change that to I'M getting ready for the kids to go back to school next week.

I've entitled Monday Margarita Monday. I don't think I'll really go out and have a margarita while they're at school, but it's more a symbol of the PARTY I'm going to be having in my head. A few hours a day that I'm all alone....alone alone alone!!!

I love my kids...really! I just love the few hours of quiet too. Making beads is a solitary thing...I'm a solitary person. I need social time too, family time too, but if I don't get a few hours alone, I'm on the edge of crazy. Ok...I'm in the middle of crazy!

So...I am back to work for a few hours a day right now while they're at home and will be full time at work next week when they're at school. 8:30-2:30 I'm working again!!! Hooray!!! I'll have shoe money again! Maid money! Assistant money!

Yes, I have an assistant. Woo hoo!!!!! My life is much happier with someone who is organized doing the organizing!!! The studio is starting to look like a eral workplace rather than an explosion! Hooray for my new assistant...bead goddess!

off to shop for Rob's b-day.

so the big news of the day...

coffee - no, but wonderful sweet tea from Starbucks
music - no, but listening to a new book on ipod. (still in love w/ my ipod!)

I haven't been very diligent about posting here. I also never spell check, so if I'm spelling things incorrectly in my own blog...so bee it.



I've been swamped with getting e-bay things up and going. Also with some changes to the Clothesline project, adding them to my website in a new way, adding them potentially to e-bay. Not sure why, but thought I'd get more exposure that way.



Am tired tired tired. Watching olympics late into the evenings, but really enjoying them.



have starbucks in hand today...need that jolt!

It's Sylviebead news day. I sent out an e-mail to my customer list telling them super secret stuff and letting them know there is new stuff in my storefront. I am finally happy with my photography. And...hopefully, now that I know what I'm doing (sort of), I can photograph some of my larger focal beads this week and post them to the store as well.

Head Over Heels is winding down and I'm feeling a bit bummed about it. I know that I wanted to make room for myself to do something new, but I'm wondering if that's a big mistake!!! Am I a one hit wonder that is retiring my HIT????? It's one of those things where I was so happy with the Clothesline, but it doesn't seem to have the appeal to other people as head over heels does. I also love the angel piece, but what if it receives the same reaction?!!!!

I'm over thinking things probably, but I just had my 2nd class cancellation due to low registration. I know it's summer, and I think that had a lot to do with it, but I'm still having a lot of self doubt.

The boys start school on Monday, so I'll have a bit more time to spend on designing. Maybe there's another "hit" in there somewhere????? If Rob would get a job it would make it much easier for me. Being the beady breadwinner is not an easy thing and does make for more of a production lifestyle than a creative one. Head Over Heels has paid the bills this summer. When that stock is gone...then what?!!!

I'm sitting here with the smell of sharpened pencils in my nose. Griffin was supposed to sharpen 48 pencils for school....he did 15 I think! We'll see if he gets a few more sharpened later, but I don't think 48 is going to happen!

Bookbags are ready to be packed with fresh supplies. I think I'm having more fun with that than they are. I always loved having new school supplies. The first day when all the crayons are organized and pristine! Makes me want to buy a box for myself...just to sit around and not use! LOL

am off to pretend to work on something important while I continue to work through this blue funk.

i think i need starbucks

ok...

I'm just about dying now.

I have auctions with NO bids. I have a bundle of beads closing in 4 hours with a high bid of $14. This is a $70 bundle of beads and I'm really really close to thinking twice about e-bay.

I know I know I know I need to sell beads to pay bills, but the idea of selling cheap just hurts my pride. :(

I did get a new bra this weekend though and it made me happy. silly thing, yet happy about it. Was terribly controlled on a shopping trip and limited myself to a very inexpensive PTA outfit (long story) and did not buy shoes (though I was quite tempted to go to the Nordstrom big sale).

Have my new photo setup and am working today to learn how to use it. Learning curves stink, but I'm needing a day to figure it all out.

ok...

off to work again. enough whining.

free beads. get your free beads.

That's what I feel like I'm saying right now with my beads on e-bay. I am practically giving away those beads. I have to sell right now, though, since Rob doesn't have a job and I can't say "no, I'm just not going to sell my beads if I don't get what they're worth", but it hurts to see $70 worth of beads go for barely $20. I just don't have the luxury of saying "I just won't sell right now".

I can go back to the worrying about how my beads stand up to others and why are others selling and mine not...or I can just be glad that I'm making what I'm making without having to be a secretary. That's pretty much where my head is at right now.

Making beads for e-bay is my "job" and I have to do it just like I would have to go to another job that wouldn't be nearly as pleasurable.

I am currently watching a bizarre movie while I type and I think I'm going to have to go watch it with my full attention to see how BAD it really is! LOL

Am not depressed, just filled with philosophical art vs. money questions that have plagued me for the past 8 years!!! (or more!)

happy happy day.



have finished editing photos and loading beads into the storefront!!!!!!!!



hooray!!!!!!!!!!!



am e-mailing the sylviebead list tonight to let them know.



hooray!!!!!!!!!!!



this bunch of beads has crazy names. Even Griffin says so :)

It's Saturday. I've spent the last few days making bead bundles. I'm photographing (I hate that part) and getting names/measurements so that I can list these in my storefront and then to auction. It's about time! I'm even getting e-mails asking if I'm still making beads! LOL



ok...off to do photo stuff. ick ick ick. I'm just too picky about my photos and they're never ever THAT good. I've tried tons of things and still don't have the magic ticket to gorgeous photography.



had starbucks today. it was awful. go figure!