Sometimes I just want to come in here and rant and realize I can't because it's screaming to the universe things that the whole universe doesn't need to hear.



I might be taking a bigger hiatus from this for a while. I need to feel totally free to write without worrying about worrying anyone or ticking anyone off.



This makes sense to me at least.



signing off for a while...



me

I have been absent and I don't think it's an "excused absence"



Life is just too weird right now and I don't have much to talk about otherwise. I feel I must check in every now and then since people worry about me if I don't.



I am fine...



i'm singing Gloria Gainer a lot, but sort of wish there was some amusing back up group of drag queens to keep me laughing while I sing it. This is one of those things that I know what I'm talking about even if anyone else just reads this and thinks I'm completely nuts.



My weight loss has plateau-ed for a while. I have not been in the mood to go to the gym this week....was out of town before that...my ankle hurts....and I want to eat chocolate chip cookies...... I haven't really gained weight (maybe a lb) but I need to kick it into gear again before we get too close to Thanksgiving.



And on that note....I am going to Disney World (can you believe it?) for the week of Thanksgiving with my husband, kids, mother-in-law and sister in law. This could be a very blog inspiring week. We'll see.



The clothesline pattern needs tweaking after teaching it in MI I found some confusing things that need to be fixed before officially putting it on the web as "ta-da" buy the kit!



I'm off to work on those tweaks. :)

I'm checking in to squelch any rumors that I have been abducted by aliens or any other such gossip. I'm healthy and mostly happy...just having a roller coaster of a fall. No explanations about crazy personal stuff here...just the facts about why my beadmaking journal is so empty lately......no beadmaking.



I did teach classes in Michigan this last week and had much fun. I introduced the new project.....duh duh duh...... (big trumpet-y music) THE CLOTHES LINE!



It is ready ready ready (other than fixing a few mistakes we found in class) for advertising!!!!



I'm hoping to have it online for PURCHASE and perusal....in 2 weeks!!! Just in time for your christmas shopping....snicker snicker.



Need to buy lots of seed beads....this one requires lots more of certain colors of beads...so I need to re-stock.



Ok...that's it for now other than the counting song.....





25 25 25 25 lets sing a song of 25!!!!!!!! How many is 25?



2 1/2 sizes!

20 20 20 20 let's sing a song of 20.....how many is 20? (my favorite song from Sesame Street)



20 pounds lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Yet no jeans fit me. :(



Too big/ too small....I feel like Goldilocks. :) Only without the blonde hair, the tiny figure, the storybook life, the bear neighbors....ok, I don't feel like Goldilocks after all.



Making kits kits kits. Actually been doing WORK (real Sylvie work not housework) all week!!!!



Am 1/2 way moved into my new studio. My beads are more organized than they have EVER been and I'm still working on getting MORE organized. Of course, I haven't made any glass beads in FOREVER (you can go back and look through the archives if you really need to know how long...I really can't remember)



I don't really miss making beads though. Hmmmmmmmmm.



I like it, but I don't miss it. I did miss beading though..... hmmmmmmmmmm.



Things to ponder in my new khaki studio.



Off to Michigan to teach next week. Hooray...am gainfully employed again!



20 20 20 20....let's sing that song again! :)



starbucks today - in a moment of desparation venti 2% mocha light on the chocolate no whip (I'm compromising)

music - Classic Rock and Court TV (that's not music, but it's what's on in the studio today...waiting for the verdict.....)



back to work...

I'm writing with my hands covered in paint. I have been painting test swatches for the past 3 days!!! I'm too picky. My house has all the furniture in the living room YET I continue to hold up moving it back because I'm putzing around "watching paint dry"

I now have a new studio...It's official. The shelving is up, the desk is there, the torch is set up. Everything is a big mess, but that's about how it was before. I want it all in place SOON! Will have to get past this paint indecision to get that done!

Watching Court TV...the Peterson case is quite interesting. I am addicted to court tv.

watched the Trading Spaces "they hated it" yesterday. They all had a reason to hate it. Those were horrible rooms....but someone could walk into my house and say that too!

caffine today? STARBUCKS! I had a grande light mocha mocha.

I have not been to the gym for the past week and a half and i'm actually bummed about it. That is the most unbelievable sentence I've ever logged here...yet it's true.

I have maintained the weight loss, but have not lost more due to sedentary (sp?) week.

Off to watch paint dry....

I'm taking a moment to write and say I exist. I do...I think I do anyways...currently I am burried in the middle of my living room under all of our posessions. We re-floored the entire house this week, so all our belongings have moved from room to room as the process went along...now the floors are finished (well almost) and now EVERYTHING is in the living room! My other rooms look like the "let's clear the room" pictures on Trading Spaces.

While my life is in chaos, I think I'll paint!

I'm am also finishing the moving of my studio (didn't we do this already???) from one area of the basement to another. I am installing an organized shelving thingy so that I will have the appearance of normality if nothing else. The only bad thing about the new room is that I already painted this room (just a few months ago) for Rob's office...so it's khaki!!! Khakki is NOT a good color for my studio...but it's done...I really really don't want to paint another room than I'm already going to have to paint...but I just can't live with khaki!!!!

ok...off to work on finding my shoes in this craziness.

starbucks today...still seems way too sweet
lbs lost - 15
inches lost (this always is bizaare because you lump them all into one figure) 9-12 (hips waist bust...didn't measure feet, legs, arms, fingers, neck, head) :)

my life is all about flooring. I do not have a bead life right now. I am having the floors in the entire house re-done, so my life is all about moving stuff from one room to another and then back and then from another and back. It's an endless frustrating process....not a wonderful thing for a pack rat/mess maker like myself.

In all this, my studio is moving to a new room...so that's one more bit of chaos in my life.

My entries lately sound very very bitchy. I am not as grumpy as I sound here...I'm just a bit wacko due to life lately.

I am alive...I guess that's obvious since I'm here and typing.

My life has been non-journal-y lately. Not that it's uneventful...it's just not journal material...not that any of my days are really that newsworthy :)

I'm home after teaching a 2 day class in Atlanta AND taking a trip to Disney over the weekend. That's a story in itself...we tricked the kids, didn't tell them where we were going...acted like we were running late for school then hurried them into the car, headed for the school and "missed the turn" spent the next 7 1/2 hours trying to find our way!!! The boys were totally confused when there were suddenly palm trees. They really didn't know what was going on until we drove in the gates of Disney World...then they still weren't sure that it wasn't a trick.

It was a great trip. The parks were very empty which meant we could do a lot in less time and enjoy the pool at the Polynesian!

So...before that...the class. I taught the new class (yes THE new class) for the first time here in Atlanta. Everyone really loved it, so that was a good good indication that I made something FUN to do!

So now, I'm putting kits together, making samples and finesse-ing the pattern after finding a few snafoos while teaching it (that's why I teach in Atlanta FIRST before going somewhere else and having strangers find my mistakes!)

BEFORE that....I had a complete computer melt-down and was fearing that my whole hard drive on the non-mac computer had been completely trashed.

After paying a LOT LOT LOT of money, they were able to restore data onto a new harddrive. No...I didn't have a backup...so shoot me! I will now! I had my new pattern in the computer complete with all it's diagrams which took me ALL summer! So, it was worth the $, but I wish I hadn't had to pay it!

I'm blabbing here, so I'm going to finish up.

I have had 2 starbucks drinks lately and I think I'm no longer hooked! Can you believe it???? I'm not kidding. 2 mochas in a row and I'm just not into them. Might be that I'm not having as many sweets, so they taste TOO rich??? I'm not sure.

On the diet and excercize front...I have now lost 16 lbs!!!! In addition, a full size and maybe a size and a half. Things are all not fitting right, so I look a little crazy...either too tight or too loose...I need to work a little harder to get down to that next size so that this won't be an issue any longer.

La La Monday Monday...



Very Very happy about my shopping excursion yesterday...Had 50% off coupon for markdowns at Parisians in Atlanta. Went thinkinng...we'll see what there is...there's usually only one or two decent things left when it's this marked down...but I'll check.



BA BING! I found 4 (count them 4!!!) Sigrid Olsen Sweaters marked down on the rack!!!



Ok..you say...50% off of Sigrid Olsen...which are usually $120-$195 and up per sweater...Even marked down and with a coupon...can't be that cheap.



WELL YOU'RE WRONG!!!



WHOOOOOPEEEEEEEEE!



They were marked down 75%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then I got to use my 50% off coupon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I was so happy I wanted to kiss the czechloslovakian (I probably have offended Czechs with my mis-spelling of their country) sales woman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



So...I bought 4 Sigrid Olsen sweaters PLUS 5 tee shirts which with my coupon ended up almost Canadian cheap! They almost had to pay me for them. I think they were less than $2 each!!!!!!!!!! They will become beadmaking shirts should I ever get to make beads again...(not looking real good right now)



In other exciting news...I have officially lost one size in clothes!!!!!!!!!!!



I am just a happy camper today!



I must go out and forrage for more good deals....Maybe Starbucks is having a Labor Day Sale!



Wishing you many bargains...

I'm alive. Just wanted to let you know. I'm juggling pretty well right now. Haven't made any beads since some time in late may or early june...it's been so long I can't remember.



I am working on seed bead stuff...kits, etc. I miss beadmaking, but not as much as you would think.



off to work during this last 45 min. before my kids get home.



happy Labor Day



starbucks - down to one per week!

music - MTV

lbs lost - 11

I've been working ALL weekend on diagrams for the tiny sweater (hint hint part of clothes line) and I finished!!!! Today I'm cleaning house..already been to walmart...and doing laundry.

My life is all too exciting lately.

Some readers might wonder...why all the cleaning all of a sudden. That is my life lately...cleaning so that I can hire a housekeeper. Isn't that bad??? That I have to get my house to a point that I can even HAVE a housekeeper? yes...it's bad.

I've just had to focus lately, for personal reasons, on things other than my beads. I can't tell you I'm happy about it. I can't say, it's who I am or wish to be...a house-wife-type person who doesn't do anything but maintain a home and my kids and self...without any other activities...but that's where I need to be right now. Maybe some day I'll figure out how to balance it. I know that other people do...but I have never been someone who can do IT ALL. I can be super in one area if I let the other areas go. I've been letting the house "go" for too long and for the benefit of those who live with me...it needs to be the priority for the moment.

I've also let me (the physical me) "go" for a long time, so I'm concentrating on that too.

My schedule is no longer...get up, make beads, be mom, do beadwork, eat and sleep (with other breaks for chocolate consumption in there).

Now it is...
Get up (way earlier than I ever have)
Drink Slimfast
Go to bus stop where evil subdivision superior moms are...wait for bus feeling quite inferior because of one snotty mom
Go to YMCA (think terrible thoughts of evil snotty bus stop mom on the way)
Walk on Treadmill for 30 min.
Do Aqua Aerobics or Lift Weights 45 min.
Go home...clean, organize MAYBE work on computer for bead things for a while (no torch time)
eat tiny lunch
Meet boys at bus stop...evil mom is not there after school (not sure why she comes in the a.m., but allows her kids to walk home in the afternoon...maybe it's just to torture me)
Go home and be mom...homework, snacks, cards with Griff, referee...
Be chef Sylvie and make something that everyone will sort of eat
Clean or do laundry
Watch Baseball
Go to sleep

Not nearly as self-oriented as it used to be, which is good. Not nearly ENOUGH of self...which is bad.

ok...am now depressed at lack of life.

off to do computer bead work...

not much news here...

working working working working on tweaking the new pattern and working on color-ways for the new kits. I am trying really really hard to limit it to just a few color schemes...BUT I CAN'T! I'm addicted to color, so it's just hard to say no!

In other not so exciting news...I have been working out at the gym EVERY day except 3 days during the last 3 weeks. I couldn't work out today due to my stupid ankle needing a day off from treadmill and anything that could cause it stress....so I was going to swim and do aqua aerobics...and THE POOL WAS CLOSED!!!!!!!!!!!! argh!!!!! So...I decided today would be my 3rd day off from working out.

I'm not happy about it...especially since I was not the best nutrition girl yesterday. I will have to do better today to make up for lack of exercise. (does this even sound like me?!!! ugh! I am not loving being healthy-girl...but it's necessary)

starbucks - I wish! I'm just not loving "skinny lattes" lately. And I'm only indulging in REAL starbucks once a week...used that one already. :(

watching -Court TV (I'm lame...I know)

Since I've had two comments, I must add that while in Lowell- home of no starbucks and no restaurants open after 5 p.m. - My beads were on the front page of the "Lowell Sun" They had an article about the bead bazaar (that word never looks right, so I'm sure it's spelled wrong) and they took pictures of my beads...et voila! They were in the paper and on the front page no less.

Probably the coolest thing from my trip...I didn't know it until someone showed it to me, which was like a cool surprise present!

Ok...enough of notariety...off to do laundry...and bead

I'm home! (I wasn't really gone anywhere, but I've been missing here)

I'm working on beady things, but not beadmaking things. I'm also working my rear-end off at the gym! Literally. My focus has been much more home oriented instead of bead oriented. Hopefully I'll find a way to balance all successfully. Right now, I'm doing good to be where I am.

New kits for the new project "the clothes line" are in process. I am teaching the class in atlanta in a couple of weeks, so I have incentive to get my act together soon!

ok...off to work...

starbucks - I'm down to one a week - caramel frappucino (I'm liking these lately)
music- some of everything, but lots of crowded house lately

I am back home. Have been for almost a week. I survived Lowell and my presentation and class at the Gathering.

I spoke in front of 500 some people!!! OMG! I totally freaked out and was very nervous. I wondered if people even cared about what I was saying. Many people afterwards said other than being nervous, they liked what I had to say....that was a good thing. It would have been awful to be terrified THEN have people say "you were awful!" :)

I do have to report some very important things here....

For those who understand this...I am fine. Things are much better. Not solved but much better. - If you have no idea what I'm talking about...well....just know that I'm ok and say "oh good...she's ok" then move on to the next section. (like people actually read this other than my mom, the couple from canada, sandy and blair) Oooh! I have an audience of more than my mom now!

Here's the important stuff I need to say today....

The Intuition shaver ROCKS! If you don't have to shave your legs, then this isn't of any interest to you. I am not employed by the maker of this product...nor do I even know WHO the maker of the product is...PLUS they have really stupid ads with the Jewel song....BUT this is the best razor I have ever used. And that's my plug for the day.

In other news....I had my first starbucks since my return. I know...you're saying....hey! she complained and complained about the lack of Starbucks in Lowell....how come she didn't RUN to starbucks as soon as she got home?!!! Well...life was just too crazy...PLUS I'm cutting down on caffine (gasp!). I had a grande caramel frappucino. It was yummy. I was happy.

Music - lately is thank you to my new Ipod. Yes I have a mac again!!!!! And I have an ipod! It is wonderful and it makes life happy even when it's a little wacko.

Beads- haven't made any since I got home. Wouldn't recognize one probably! LOL But I am dying to and to play with boro...it's like meditation and peace to play with boro since it works so slowly. I need that kind of slow paced beadmaking this week I think.

Finally....the boys are back in school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ta ta

Am still in Lowell, Mass.....still no Starbucks...



This town is wacky. Everything closes at 5 p.m.!!!!!! I think attendees of the Gathering (not a witch conference, but a International Society of Glass Beadmakers convention) will be very surprised and HUNGRY!



Class is going really well from my standpoint. You never know what students are thinking until after the class...and that's if they actually say something good or bad about it. Cindy Jenkins is in the class and I'm having fun getting to know her, since I only knew her as a "hi Cindy" before.



Must go veg....class wears me out!



s

Dear Diary,



Am in Lowell, Mass.



Please send starbucks



love,



s

writing to journal one more time before heading off to boston early tomorrow morning. Very excited about the class...very nervous about the presentation. I'll pull it together some how.



I'm packing and other prep stuff all day today.



coffee- no

music - classical, but I have no idea what

I just have to add this...



the guy who is the host on QVC coming up next is scary! He's like psycho friend of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" like if they had 6 guys instead of 5 and one of them was a homeshopping network guy who would wander in and say "hurry...operators are standing by" while they cleaned out the guy's frig.



Right now he's selling blender/juicers...selling them like he totally relates to every Indiana Housewife and how her life will be much easier if there were an easy-slicing pineapple slicer.....



(i am not kidding this is the product on right now)



And here's a rotating blade food chopper that "actually uses your own hand to do the chopping" Isn't that a knife?????



I truly love QVC...not kidding here....there are some wonderful things on QVC, like fake diamonds! But this guy is AWFUL and watching him is icky...so I must end this and change the channel!

Ok...today my life is brought to you by Suburban Bliss...



Right now I think she's much funnier than I am. Read her journal today and insert here. She has life ups and downs too, but seems much cheerier about them than i do right now...



I know that I'm not fun to read this week...it's my journal, though, so i'm stealing hers today...



----------

(Insert Suburban Bliss Text Here)

---------



and now we return to our show...



Coffee today - venti 2% 2 pump mocha (I have learned that this is the less confusing way to state my drink order) mmmmmmm

(and a peanut butter cookie which was not good for my "issues" right now)



Watching - QVC...stuff I don't even want...this is really dumb tv viewing