Some days you win... some days you make pumpkin heads that look like they have giant blobs for mouths.

These horrid beads are still in the kiln, but I will take a picture of one of them tomorrow to show how I, like every other beadmaker has BAAAAAAD days at the torch.

I have been asked to make more of my zombie girl totems... that made me think "hey, what if zombie girl was a head over heels girl??!!" I got really excited about it and it's on the "to-do" list for bead and button AFTER I finish all the beads for Flora Flora, Springalicious and the Sweetheart bracelet (we haven't talked about that one, have we? Well, it's cute!)

ANYHOO... I'm not supposed to be making zombie girl things until AFTER those other beads are done. The blackboard of bossiness has NOT said anything other than those beads for 2 weeks now.... but what did I do????? I went "off blackboard" and tried to make pumpkin heads... and they were horrible and a colossal waste of time! SO, after making 8 good beads for flora flora and about 10 horrible beads for zombie girl I quit for the day.... and that was the "lose some" part of the story.

HERE is the "win some" part. As I was driving down the road today, I had a huge AHA! moment that concerns the project from hell that I worked on for 3 weeks straight... the project that ended up looking like a 4th of July parade threw up. WELL, I think I have a great idea that might be stemming from that horrible horrible pile of beads. This is why we don't immediately trash beadwork that goes awry... sometimes it's just a stepping off point to somewhere great. If I'd thrown away the crazy lampshade looking "beads" that I made in Jeanette Cook's fandango bead class (it was my own fault they were horrible... I wouldn't follow the directions) then I wouldn't have ever made Head Over Heels!

SO, I'll play around with this new idea in the evenings as I prep for B&B. I have to have some new projects ready to promote at the show... to show what's coming in 2012.


ok... I'm off to do some non-beady things! Have a great day!!


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee -yes, but i could use more now. (I had a free drink coupon... yay!)

music - Adele and Corinne Bailey Rae.

I love it when I open the kiln and have a nice color surprise!

THAT is what happened this morning. I made some beads the other day that made me say "hmmmm" maybe I need a new color combo for Flora Flora (I know... I already have too many choices, but this one just said YES! so I couldn't resist) Anyhoo... I knew the overall color palette, but didn't have the specific color combos for each bead decided yet... so I just dove in head first and started putting glass on mandrel as if I did!

I crossed my fingers, hoping that the little flowers I put in the kiln would come out the next day in their cooled form looking like I imagined them. You can't always tell though. BUT these flowers turned out SO fun!!!!!! I'm already in love with this new color-way for the project.


I put the question out on facebook "_____ chick" to help me name it. I've narrowed it down to 3 choices and will decide for sure when I see the whole kit put together.

I LOVED all the suggestions for names and honestly, a lot of them were better than the ones I had in the first place, so some kits might get renamed! Stay tuned for the full list of chicks.


ok... off to relax. I've worked hard this week!


tiny blah blah blah...

Starbucks - yummy Cinnamon Dolce Latte!
music - Mr. A-Z (Jason Mraz)

The new and updated Blackboard of Bossiness!!!
(please hold your applause till the end of the blog posting)

Since I conquered the long list from the prior weeks B.O.B., I erased the list of HOT HOT HOT colors, which, honestly I was getting pretty tired of! Now it's the Cool/Bright mix list... which still has a lot of hot colors included, but I get to add lime green and turquoise! I'm very orderly about this process this year... not letting myself make beads that are 'off list' colors!

Last year I worked a little differently getting ready for Bead and Button... this year, I'm trying to work through one color palette at a time, which keeps me from having a million kajillion different colors in front of me at once. I just pull stringers (thinner "rods" of glass) out of the few colors that I'm working in and have those ready to go.

This color palette (because I know you care) is... orange, yellow, pink, turquoise, lime and purple. I don't have a name for it like hot, cool, rich, etc. and I need to come up with something for the Flora Flora version. "_____ Chick" Suggestions are welcome!

The great news is that, after working all day today, I'm finished with about 1/4 of the beads in this color-range. I think that by the end of the week, I could be moving on to ALL cool colors! (woo hoo! I'm making it through the list, which is good considering the countdown number in the top right corner of the B.O.B. 50 days! I was wrong yesterday!!)


have a great day everyone!

tiny blah blah blah....

Coffee - yes and it was yummy!

Music - more Sara Bareilles Genius list. (I need to publish that playlist because it's really good!)

I am a beadmaking MACHINE! (well, not really a machine, but I'm a darn productive beadmaker!)

I have now completely finished ALL the lampworked beads that go into the kits that have HOT colors... and every single kit I do has a "hot" variation (hot pinks, reds, corals, etc.) The beads for Flora Flora Bloom Boom are really time-consuming and I wasn't feeling like I would EVER be finished with them... but I am!

I can cross HOT off the blackboard of bossiness... and move onto Mixed Brights. I don't need as many of those, so I'll feel successful faster.... and then move on to Cool which will take me just as long if not longer than the Hot colors. Love me some blues/greens/purples... until I realize I have to make 1,000 of something!


tiny blah blah blah...

it was a coffee-free day. Lunch with Marcy meant skipping Starbucks, but conversation was great and made up for any lacking lattes.

music - 2 different "genius" lists on the ipod. One was based on Adele and the other Sara Bareilles... both were great mixes of all kinds of similar stuff.

Happy Friday!!!

I'm busily getting ready for Bead and Button and trying to be realistic about my abilities and time between now and then. This has led me to believe that I need help... and lots of it.

I've "hired" a helper for booking my classes, which was really needed because I needed someone organized who could push me a little without me feeling too pushed. So, I'm very very thankful that the right person showed up at just the right time.

I've "hired" a person to put together kits as I get closer to B&B... that will be a huge help. (you would think that 2 teenage boys would want to earn a little extra $$, but they are NOT interested and I am happy to find someone who really wants to work and will do a good job)

(and hire is in quotations each time because I'm not really employing anyone, I'm being creative in my compensation methods... that was just for those of you who are way too interested in my financial-status)


NOW I'm looking to "hire" some sample-makers. I really really need some advanced beaders who would be willing to bead one of my kits in exchange for another kit for them to keep. If you are interested in doing this, please comment here, email me or message me on facebook. I'm looking for advanced beaders... preferably those who have made my projects before and kind of "get" me.


ok... back to beadmaking. I've just finished all the beads for any kits with HOT colors... now I'm on to mixed brights (pinks, limes, turquoises, purples) I love this combo! (and I'm sick of hot pink and orange after making 600 beads in that color scheme)


music - a mix of praise music from church.

coffee - oh yeah! CDL which was a little strong. I guess they thought I needed an extra shot of espresso

This has nothing to do with beads. It's about Cupcakes!

My youngest son said last year that I needed to take cake to bead and button because "everyone loves cake!" I laughed about it... and joked that this year he could serve cake when his "fans" came to visit my booth (because he DOES have fans, which cracks me up)

ANYWAYS... there was an incident this week at school which involved cupcakes. Youngest son decided it would be fun to surprise some unknowing kid at school by putting cupcakes in his/her locker, which was not completely closed. Just to be clear... opening a locker that is not yours is NOT GOOD... against the rules... something you can get in trouble for.... BUT the idea of surprising someone with cupcakes is GOOD! (if breaking and entering isn't involved)

Child #2 was disciplined at school, but in the midst of it was asked "why would you put cupcakes in someone's locker??!!" and his response was "because everyone loves cupcakes!"


This got me thinking... everyone DOES love cupcakes and if someone surprised us with one, we would probably smile. SO... I've started a revolution. Inspired by Child #2's doofiness, I did a drive-by cupcake-ing tonight. My nephew had a crap-tastic week and I decided that if he opened his door and found a batch of cupcakes it would make him smile..... and it did.

SO, now I'm asking you dear readers... go surprise someone with cupcakes and spread the word....


The Cupcake Revolution has begun! Surprise someone with a cupcake. Change the world, one cupcake at a time!



(please take that last sentence... post it to your facebook page, tweet it, tell your friends... let's spread some frosting and some happy!)

I can't take a day off.

I WANT to take a day off, but I can't turn my brain off of "create" and it looks like I'll be doing some sort of work today whether I'm supposed to or not. I know that MY work doesn't seem like work to a lot of you, but it is. I SHOULD do something like sew or go to a park or something non-worky today, but my brain is on CREATE-MODE after coming home from Detroit and I'm not sure I'll be able to just relax today.

I really want to make sure that I DO take time off of work every week. It's not good for me to work continuously.... but I like my work, so it's trickier than if I had a 9-5 job where I clock in and clock out and don't WANT to go there in the off hours.

So.... do I work or play today... or both. We'll see. (a betting person should probably put their money on work)

I have a new book about Albion stitch and it's got me totally ready to try something new. Maybe I'll call THAT "play" today. YAY! A compromise! (aren't you glad you were here for that little decision making session with me??)


time to go play!

Shout out to Deb from Michigan who I know is reading this. (I made sure to blog today instead of just writing on FB so that you would know what's up too!) :D


tiny blah blah blah

coffee - mais oui! Starbucks... even sat there for a while and read! (it's my day off, after all!!)

music - Marvin Gaye was playing at Starbucks, so I came home ready to put him on the ipod!

Traveling home from Detroit (in the Airport as I write). Just finished a FUN weekend with my Michigan girls. I have no idea why Michigan loves me so much, but I always leave there feeling totally loved and re-energized, ready to create new things for them (and others too! )

I want to say a big thank you to the girls who were in my beta class at Pam's Bead Garden. You all were a HUGE help, testing the pattern and giving me ideas for changing/tweaking the kits and pattern. I know that everyone who does the project now will have great directions because of your help. I love you guys bunches!!!

I also loved seeing all my other girls at the GLBG show... Looking forward to having you guys in the summer classes!! (don't forget that registrations start a week from Monday... 3/28. From what I've heard you have to send it in IMMEDIATELY)

I will be back in Michigan in July... Then again in October. Who would have thought that my 2nd home would be Michigan?? But, apparently, it is!

Off to doodle on the plane and dream up some new projects for summer and fall!!


Tiny blah blah blah...

Starbucks en route to the airport.
Music - an endless loop of black eyed peas playing in a continuously coming from some vending machine! I love the BEP, but it's time for some iTunes & headphones!

American Craft Council Show re-cap...

I FINALLY got to go to the ACC Atlanta show this weekend. Every year it's been in Atlanta, I've either been out of town or totally unavailable to go. This year was different and I FINALLY got to attend! I really wanted to walk around and see the quality of artists showing there, the booth display ideas, the amount of buying traffic and just get a feeling for the show (because I'd really like to apply for at least 1 ACC show in the next year)

I had put this show pretty high up on a pedestal due to the stories I'd heard of really tough jurying and quality of work. The quality of the work shown was definitely high, but I don't think I was as intimidated as I thought I'd be.... which is good and bad. There were definitely TONS of booths with exquisite stuff and really creative artists, but there was a huge lack of glass... and that made me wonder...

Is there no glass because vendors didn't re-apply after slow sales @ prior ATL shows
OR
Is there no glass because glass people don't apply to ACC? (I'm not thinking that they're not being juried in... there is too much good glass out there to think that ACC doesn't accept glass artists)

There was a HUGE amount of jewelry and a HUGE amount of fiber art and probably more wood-turned/furniture work than I've seen at one show, but hardly any glass. I was trying to count in my head as I went around and I maybe thought of 8 glass artists that I'd seen there. (what I did see was really cool though... just for the record)

I'm going to post some links in another blog entry of the artists at the show that I really really liked. There were some fantastic things and a couple I really want to share!


but that's it for now... because I have to prep for my class this coming weekend!

happy Monday!


tiny blah blah blah

music - Adele
coffee - CDL

It's been pretty quiet around here (the blog) lately. Sorry for abandoning you.

I spent the last few weeks working on "the project that was not to be." Long story, but it was a BIG BRAVE attempt at a dismal failure of a piece.

We learn from our mistakes... and some of my best work has come from cast-off projects that I returned to later and found new inspiration. I have to say that I will be SHOCKED if anything comes of this project in the future... other than "I will never work in those colors again." That was the big take-away I had after those few weeks of constant work and nothing coming to fruition.


SO... after picking myself up from disappointment, I'm foraging ahead embracing the project that DID turn out great.... time to finish the pattern for my beta-testers in Michigan and get the kits put together.


hopefully I'll feel more chatty again now that this icky project is abandoned.


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - yes! free free free coffee coupon!

music - nope. quiet rainy day.

Venturing into the Outdoors

I've never been one for camping... yet I'm going to be buying a tent. :)


I've been chickening out of applying for juried shows for YEARS, so I found a way around that... I was INVITED to be in a show that doesn't accept applications. They hand-pick their vendors (although they do allow people to email work for consideration), and I was hand-picked! They originally contacted me over a year ago after seeing my work somewhere and asked me to be in the show, but I needed to visit the show and see if it was a REAL show that I'd want to be in.

Sure enough... it was the coolest show I've been to in a LONG time. One where almost every booth had something I'd want to buy (and I'm pretty picky!) The entire theme of the show is whimsy. And who's the QUEEN of Whimsy??? ME!!!!!!!!!!!

So... I emailed them this year and said "ok... NOW I'd like to be in the show" but took a risk that the ship had already sailed. But who received her official invitation and paperwork this morning to be in the show??? ME!!!!!!!!!!!
(can you tell I'm doing the happy dance?)


SO.... if you're in the Atlanta area in October. Look for me under a tent in Norcross! More details to follow later!


happy Friday!

tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - DEFINITELY! Cinnamon Dolce Latte - still thanking my birthday gift girls Jenny & Julie!
music - not really

Some days you just can't make art. It's just not the right time.

No matter how hard you try.... and I tried. I tried and I tried and I tried yesterday, but I kept staring at my inspirational material that I'm supposed to be using for the ISGB juried Convergence show and I got NOWHERE. I have some sketches, but nothing concrete and I still haven't totally honed in on one idea.

My heart was broken yesterday and I just couldn't focus. It was broken by little stuff at home and outside my home. Stuff that seemed big at the moment, but was made little seeing the sadness that others were going through yesterday. A family friend passed away and I kept thinking of the heartbreak her family was going through... the loss of a daughter, a wife, and the mom of two young young kids.

Katie was a courageous faithful woman who fought until the very end and was an example of grace and strength in adverse circumstances. Although I hadn't seen her in a few years, facebook is nice for keeping people in touch and her statuses over the last few years showed nothing but joy. I know that the joy came from knowing that no matter what her earthly circumstances she had a FOREVER future outside her broken body and that the good-byes she might have to make on earth weren't forever. But I was still filled with sadness yesterday.

My heart wasn't broken for Katie. She's doing just fine... in fact, she's WAY better than the rest of us. It just hurt for those whose lives on earth are without her now.

But, it's time to "buck-up" and get back to work. Some days just aren't for art... yesterday was one of those. Today needs to be. Time to get with it and make some happy and some pretty. Even if I don't feel it yet.

tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - definitely was necessary today. CDL thanks to my birthday gifts! Thank you Jenny and Julie!!! You'll be my "shout out" for a couple of weeks!!

music - not sure yet! Maybe Adele. I'm anxiously awaiting her new album, but found out over the weekend that I'm seeing her in concert this summer!!! (thank you Denise!! that was a GREAT birthday gift!!)

Predicting the future is scary stuff.

Because you can't!

I have my new project completed and I'm excited about teaching it in Detroit in March. The tricky part is always deciding kit colors... guessing which will sell better than the others. I'm placing an order for one of the non-Sylvie-made components in the kit and I'm puzzling over colors. I think I figured it all out, but it's sort of a crap-shoot.... what I think will be popular vs. what ends up being the "favorite" (and it also depends how many samples I've made, what colors people choose....which means I need to get busy making samples!)

I will have SO many kit choices this year at Bead and Button... it's pretty exciting! I'm going to have to work on re-formatting my display to show everything in the best way. (better get my organized, yet bossy sister on this job quick!)

SO... here's the finished project. I'm not sure of the name, but I had a great suggestion and I might just stick with it.

So here it is...

Springalicious Pendant/Pin

Isn't it pretty???


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee today? oh yeah. Might even need a 2nd cup from Mr. Keurig
music - not yet, but i think I need some.

The birth of a project.


Sometimes it starts as an idea that I get while I'm driving, or sitting in an airport, or laying in bed after hitting the snooze button for the 3rd time. Sometimes it smacks me in the head while I'm beading... a big AHA moment (but those are rare). Sometimes it's a doodle, sometimes a dream.... sometimes it just doesn't happen at all.

Right now I have about 20 bead projects zooming around in my head, doodled on scraps of paper, sketched in notebooks... about 10 UFO (unfinished objects) lying on beading trays... and none of them are close to being a project.... except one. And I'm sooooooo close to having "it" but not quite there yet. (and I have a deadline, so I need to get to "it" pretty quick!)

Right now the birth of a project is yards and yards of unspooled wire, size 6/0, 8/0/ 11/0 and 15/0 seed beads strewn across a bead tray... baggie upon baggie and tube upon tube of colors laid out along side piles of my lampworked beads.... HOPING to be useful as-is (which means I'm really hoping not to have to invent a new lampworked bead for the project... hoping that I can use ones I already have made).

Some days I get really jealous of other beadwork artists/pattern designers. They have TWO jobs as a beader.... make a beautiful project and write a pattern. ME? I'm doing too many things at once. I'm making the beads that go into my projects, making glass beads that have NOTHING to do with the projects (but are a part of the bead booth) and FINALLY designing a project and writing a pattern. I told someone while I was at Tucson that I envy the bead girls that write in their blogs "beaded sample number 34 of the new project this week" ??!!!! Some days I feel I bite off more than I can chew designing beadwork projects with my beads in them.

This is one of those days.


I'll take some pictures of the project when it's done.... but for now, I'll plan to take a picture of the mess of beads and wire on the tray and hopefully post it here later.


coffee - yes, but it didn't help

music - no, watching cheezy chick-flick TV series while beading

Home again...

After an action-packed week at the Tucson, Best Bead Show, I'm back home. I missed the trees, I missed my kids, I missed my dog and my friends and my church... but it's good to go away some times and have that reminder. PLUS when you go away, you get to see new things and meet new people and see sunsets like this...


It was about 100 times more beautiful than this picture captured. We stood and oohed and aaahed at it for a while. Then we went and ate Mexican food at a place that I couldn't pronounce the name OR find again if I had to!! (but it was gooood!)


The show was a tough one. It always has been for me. It's loooooooooong and often tough on my fragile ego. This time it was even tougher. It was FREEZING cold... lowest temperatures in 50 years (19 degrees one night) and that hurt sales. In addition, the economy is still a factor...especially for bead stores and jewelry designers, the primary shoppers at the show. That said, my booth was absolutely beautiful and my work was the most cohesive its been in years, so I was very happy about that. People seemed enthusiastic about the new directions I'm taking too... so I'm looking at the bright side as much as possible.


I made it through and enjoyed myself and came home with great contacts, so we'll see what the end results of the show are at a later date. In the meantime, I'm glad to be home. Now it's time to work on new designs for a few weeks before preparations for Bead and Button begin!


tiny blah blah blah...

music - not yet, but I think it's going to be a movie day instead. old classics while I bead.

coffee - not today. iced tea feels better in my sore throat

Tucson-bound... well, almost.

I am sitting here getting my inventory squared away, seeing if there are any missing pieces that I need to go quickly make in the studio before I wrap everything and start packing it up for the show. (and there are... I'm missing a set of feet for one of my totems! How did I forget that??!! as well as a few other odds and ends that I'd like to have. No major glass-work today.)

I don't have nearly as much inventory as I would like to.... but what is here, I love.

Here's a quick peek into the stash waiting to be bubble-wrapped...


Off to finish all the last-minute stuff!!!!!

tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - OH YEAH... big-time! If they had a extra venti, I'd be needing that this morning!
music - not sure yet... might go with something Adele-ish to calm me down a little! (can't wait for her new album later this month!!!)

Focusing on Tucson

I have 2 days left till I'm off for the Best Bead Show in Tucson. It's a crazy-huge show, for those who have never experienced it. It's absorbed most of my energy the last month and a half... and should have had even more attention than it did. I'm trying to focus on just being satisfied with WHATEVER I have to bring... and presenting it in a way that WOWS no matter what the quantity.

I've been working on some pretty cool stuff that I had hoped would be ready to debut at this show and I'm still not sure if it's there or not.... I have a day and a half to decide. I would love to show it in Tucson and "claim" it as my own in a big venue where you can do that. If not, I'm still going to work on it and bring it out for Bead and Button.... although this show is much more glass-oriented and I'd love to show it here first.

We'll see.


I have a whole other blog-posting writing itself in my head as I work lately about all the people who have influenced the way I work... but I'll save that for next week (maybe while I'm decompressing at the hotel at night!)

Off to the studio... long day ahead!


tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - Iced CDL AND an iced tea. I'm doubling up, preparing for a long long day in the "dungeon" (can't wait until I get my studio moved upstairs when I get back home!!)

music - all over the place lately! From my Groove Tunes playlist to my Country Music Guilty Pleasures list. Not sure what it will be today, but it will definitely be upbeat and sing-able!

Monday... Just another manic one? No, but a busy one.

I had to take an unexpected week(ish) off last week due to Snowmageddon 2011 in Atlanta. School was canceled for a WEEK and we couldn't get out of our neighborhood until Thursday. Seriously.

Now, just in case you need a reminder, my kids didn't go back to school until the WEDNESDAY after New Years, so they were only in school for 3 days from December 23-January 18 (tomorrow) That's over 3 weeks off!!!!! That totally threw my game off getting ready for Tucson. Sure... I was at home and could work in the studio, BUT anytime the kids are home, it just doesn't work the same. I get small stuff made, but nothing that I really have to invest uninterruptable (is that a word?) time to. I'm afraid to start something that I know will take an hour or more because I have this feeling that as soon as I'm 3/4 of the way into it... something will need my attention, I'll either have to stop OR the distraction will cause me to crack the piece and I'll lose that time I worked. Maybe this is just being overly cautious, but I don't take the risk... I just make little beads instead.

SO... for Tucson right now I have..... one mermaid and a million gazillion little beads! (I did have back-stock of focal beads, but I've only made ONE since Tucson prep began)

That's CRAZY!!!!!!!!!! I'm really trying to focus on focal beads (focus on focal?) this week... but even today I got side-tracked. I started back on making the big totems... NOT what I had planned to do. (but they're really pretty, so I'm sort of forgiving myself)

Re-reading this makes me sound a little crazed and all over the place. Truly... I'm not. I'm just a little stressed knowing I need to get a lot of work done in a short amount of time. I'll keep you posted!

tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - Starbucks!!!!! You don't know how badly I missed my Cinnamon Dolce Latte during the time I was iced-in. (it wasn't snow, but ice that stranded us) Today's coffee sponsor was a "thank you" gift-card. Thank you back!!!!!

Music - my Country Guilty Pleasures playlist. It cracks me up that I like this music.... and like to sing along LOUDLY to it! :)

It's about 3 weeks till Tucson... and I'm FREAKING OUT!

I've been acting all cool and collected (well, sort of), but I'm now in stressed out mode. I have NO idea what to make... how many of them to make, etc.

It's a little overwhelming, like the FIRST year I ever did the show because I have no idea what to expect. At Bead and Button, I can expect beadwork customers... kit people. I'm pretty sure that Tucson is NOT kit people, but I know I should take a few... and I'm OK on the kit-front.

It's the WHAT ELSE do I take that is overwhelming. Do I take focals, do I take more spacers/little beads... do I take BIG totem stuff??? It's a little daunting.

So, I'm following the color guidance of the Blackboard of Bossiness... just trying to keep some structure as I try to decide WHAT IN THE HECK TO MAKE!!!




tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - cinnamon dolce latte (thank you Aunt Janie!!)
music - a mix of stuff, but it ended with Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits which always puts me into a "GET IT DONE!" state of mind.

Laughter in the studio...

Today I made beads and laughed.

I'm a little overwhelmed in the studio lately when I think of the massive amount of work to do in less than a month. Tucson's Best Bead show is looming LARGE. I'm trying my best to stay on-task and honestly, staying on task isn't nearly as hard as staying IN the studio in the first place. Christmas vacation with the boys made it difficult to work for the last week and being sick before the holidays really messed me up.

SO, now I'm scrambling. I'll make it. I'll be there. I'll have beads, but in the meantime, I'm freaking out a little.

(so where's the laughter, you ask???)

WELL, as I'm sitting there cranking out the little beads, Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" comes on the ipod and I was spirited away to a memory of something that happened this past weekend... THAT was what made me laugh.

My nephew and I were sitting in the living room at my parent's house, looking at my ipad. He was looking through my playlists and stopped on the one I've been playing in the studio lately (see a few days ago for the playlist.) He looked through the songs and clicked on "Let's Go Crazy." That first chord hit and my sister and I spontaneously burst into a live performance of the song in front of our family who sat there staring at us like we were from another planet. They had no idea that we sang this song (as well as all the songs on the Purple Rain Soundtrack) EVERY morning for at least a year on our way to school and I had no idea I still knew all the words to that song... but apparently I do.

So now, when that song comes on, I am hurled into these funny memories... my sister and best friend and I singing in the car on our way to school AND the recent "encore" performance.

The laughter distracted me from my stressing out... a little.

And in case I start to freak out again, I'll just remember...

Dearly beloved. We are gathered here to get through this thing called life....




tiny blah blah blah...

coffee - Cinnamon Dolce Latte
music - You need to ask??!!!