Do Only One Thing Today

Watch this video on Margot's blog. That's all I ask of you today. And to all of my beloved friends, near and far, I am ever so grateful for your presence in my life. And to my family, well, I wouldn't be who I am without you, and I'm a very blessed, very lucky woman. Hugs and kisses to you all.

Not Much Happens On Thursday

Yes, it's true. You could probably call Thursday "hump day" around here. I'm sitting here with my oatmeal and coffee, just thinking about what I have to do today, and the list is very short. There's beading (I've got an inch done on the rebead), putting together show and tell plus a project for me to work on tomorrow (beading with the Beadalicious Beaders), making sure I have clean clothes for tomorrow, and putting together a project to hand off. That's it. Boring, huh? But that's all there is, and that's all there is for today. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon!

My Latest Project

Yes, there it is. Isn't it lovely? sigh I'm chugging along last night, thinking that this baby was almost done. Then I notice that waaaaaaay back there, I've totally skipped a bead. See it? WAAAAAAAAAYYYY back there. Not only that, but I start looking at the length of this thing (it's supposed to be a business card case) and it's a bit short. I take it off the support tube and it's A LOT TIGHT! Oh my stars, have I been stressing??? And to top it all off I can barely squeeze one card into it. CRIKEY! So, I get the computer out to redesign, then I get the scissors out to unbead. The only saving grace was being able to watch my friend Judy's husband Frank on Trading Spaces. I actually met Judy many, many years ago at a Houston Bead Society bead bazaar. I get to see them now every year, when I got to Houston in November. Frank is a hoot! And I love to watch people's faces when they realize he is someone they've seen on TV. It is a gas!

And speaking of celebrities, I was surfing in the wee small hours of the morning (new meds induced insomnia!), and who should I happen upon but the delightful Margot Potter doing her stint on QVC. Even at 2:00 a.m. the girl looks gorgeous, and the jewelry is to die for!

Okay, you must go check this out. These are polymer clay by Jill Newman, also known as Tatercat. I once bid on one of her pieces on Just Beads. It was a three-dimensional fox head, with the ears connected by links. It was fanfreakintastic. I had to stop when the bidding went over $90. Damn, her stuff is out of this world!

Here is the ever elusive Callie. Callie was dumped out here when she was about 10 weeks old. We believe she was mistreated in a house with small children. She has finally stopped cringing when you lift you hand and she tolerates being in the same room with A. I can pet her, but it is very infrequent. She has a new pastime. She meows until I come throw a big, wooden bead for her. She would be content to do this all day, and doesn't understand the sentence "I need to work now, cat!" She is one of the very few cats I have that isn't gray or black. Isn't she pretty?

I'm leaving now, to start the card case AGAIN. I've made sure this time that it is long enough and wide enough. But first, I'll need to find something for the support tube since I increased the diameter. So, off I go on a scavenger hunt. See you tomorrow, bead friends, same bead time, same bead channel! (Holy Trademark and Copyright Infringement, Batman! Can she do that?)

I Love Central Texas!

I am a native Texan; I've lived in Texas all my life. I've lived in Central Texas for most of my life. It's a beautiful place to be. For instance, yesterday it hit 92 degrees. Yes, February is not finished, spring has not yet sprung, but we had 92 lovely, sunny, warm and breezy degrees yesterday. The kids wore shorts! Tonight, we have a freeze expected. Yup, you gotta love it!

Yesterday was a pretty productive day for me. I got a lot done on a new kit sample. There are days when I have seriously considered writing a book. How about The Dummies Guide to Wasting Time? I think I could do it justice! HAH! I am very talented at wasting away the hours, but I have been very productive these past two days, and am exceedingly pleased with myself.

This is pretty cool: It is a morph of Women in Film. The link will open a new page, so you might want to stop the music on my blog to catch the music playing during the slide show. I found it on Kate's site.

My friend Linda pointed out something interesting the other day. Did the women at the Oscars seem to be wearing a lot less jewelry this year? There were an awful lot of strapless gowns with bare necks. Where was all the glitz? The flash? The blinding light of 20 carats of diamonds?? I guess it's just one of those things that make you go "Hmmmm . . .”

Sleep Study And Other Stuff

Well, you'll notice I didn't post this weekend. That's because I was totally exhausted. When you get to the sleep center, you hand over your paperwork and get led to your room (which was very tasteful) and then you're told to go ahead and change into your pajamas (Garden Goddess is in the room). In your room, there is a camera with a microphone aimed at your bed, but other than that it's just like any hotel room you have ever stayed in. After you are in your jammies, they start putting wires all over your head, chest, neck, and legs plus the oxygenation sensor on your finger tip.

Friday night I got hooked up with all. They get all bundled together in kind of a loose pony tail. These make it rather difficult to turn over in bed, to say the least. My tech only woke me once because one of the EEG sensors was bad and needed to be changed out. I thought I would get lots of sleep. WRONG! And let me tell you, 5:30 a.m. came way too soon! However, I was told that I could go home to sleep some more, as long as I didn't sleep all day.

Saturday night, we went through the same wiring. The only thing that was different was the CPAP mask, which fit over my nose. However, the straps holding this contraption fit over the top of my head and around the back. Let's just say I had strap marks for several hours the next morning. Sleeping (or trying to sleep) with this thing on was horrendous! And the Saturday night tech woke me at least four times to adjust different sensors, plus she had the heater on and it must have been 75 degrees in my previously comfy room. I tossed, I turned, and I sweated. It was not a good night! Now I get to wait until the doctor's office calls for my next appointment to go over the results. Hey doc, guess what? I don't get much sleep!! So, we'll see what happens.

I've been beading today. I went to pick T-man up from work (it's one of his early days) and Little Miss A should be home any minute now. I was beading a book mark for her, and it's all finished. She will be happy. The next project is one of my new patterns. It's odd -- I'm not a big fan of peyote stitch, but everything I have to do right now seems to be peyote stitch. Hmmmm . . .

I love this quote from Albert Einstein: “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.” Just think on that a while, and I'll be back tomorrow.

Today's Rant Is Brought To You By . . . . .

CHUBBY GIRLS NEED JAMMIES, TOO!!! OOOOOOOOO, so pissed. You may remember that for tonight's sleep study; I will need something to sleep in. Something comfortable to sleep in, as stated in the literature. So yesterday when A got home, off we went to my two favorite department stores. These stores both usually have plenty of selection for those of us who wear sizes at the upper end of the "-teens" (if you know what I mean). Well, apparently they have plenty of selection in everything EXCEPT pajamas! Sheesh! After much searching through the leftover Valentine's specials (no, I don't think that red and black lace baby doll with thong will work for the sleep study), I found a few selections (emphasis on FEW) and went to try them on. Oh, that's always fun. I get to see my butt in three different views. Anyway, I finally found some made by JCP's featured jammie source, and they actually fit and they are comfy and cute. They say "Garden Goddess", which A just loved, although I don't see why I would wear my Garden Goddess label in bed anymore than I would wear my Dream Goddess label for gardening (giggle). I really wanted the ones that said "Ruff Night?" with a little dog on them, because that's usually how my nights are, but alas they only had little sizes. By the way, the doctors all believe that if I can start getting restful sleep on a consistent basis, some of the pounds will disappear. We'll see.

Last night Miss A and I made the birthday bracelet. She told me she was going to design it herself. She did acquiesce to some suggestions from me, albeit reluctantly. It turned out very nice. Unfortunately, A grabbed it up to put it in a box with a bow before I could take pictures. It is truly something tweens will love.

And at 3:00 a.m. this morning a thunderstorm with hail blew through! It was totally unannounced and unexpected, and it dropped the temps a good 20 degrees! T-man wrenched his back jumping out of bed to close the windows. Then he took forever to get back to sleep. Hey! Maybe I will get some sleep tonight after all!!

So today I'm going to sit and bead and watch TV and try not to think about the sleep study. Here is an interesting article from the N.Y. Times on sleep. And since I'm not allowed naps today or tomorrow, you might just get a little blurb over the weekend. Sunday I expect to be totally exhausted, if for no other reason than this tiny fact --- the sleep study ends at 5:30 a.m. each morning! I'll just leave you with that thought.

Yawn . . .

Nope, not bored. I'm exhausted. T-man snores, I snore, I wake up, can't get comfy. This is why I must do a sleep study.

I'm sitting here reading the info they sent.

We will place a series of belts around your chest/waist to observe your respiration. A small fabric belt around both calves to monitor leg movements. Electrodes on your scalp and temples will monitor your brain waves and a small device will be placed on your finger to record your heart rate and oxygen saturation as you sleep. A technician will observe these parameters outside your room for the duration of the
night.

Ooooo, this sounds comfy! BUT if it helps fix what's going on, then it's worth it. And never mind the nights I wake up gasping for air. Also, I must go buy something to sleep in. 'Nuff said on that topic!



My flowers think it's springtime here. You can see the still dead plants behind the white flag iris. You can also see all the blooms just waiting. This once started opening last night around 9:00. And the wild verbena practically covers the entire front yard. The spider wort is also blooming, but the heavy fog seems to have bruised the blossom. If they are pretty tomorrow, I'll get a picture for you.

So, that's about it for today. By the way, did you know that the Sonific widget holds more than one song? Yeppers. Just click on the little fast-forward button to see what else is in the queue (we don't use that word enough down here). Oh, and go check Margot's blog. She's discussing putting yourself out there among the nay-sayers. I agree with her -- tiaras all around, girls. Let's kick some nay-saying ass and make art! And one more thing -- S.H.I.T. -- Sure Happy It's Thursday! HAH! It is to laugh! Buhbye!

Who Lives Inside You?

No, it is not a weird question. It's a very important question. We all have someone living inside us, someone a bit different from the outside persona. Think about it. Is there a part of you that wants to spring forth, a part that you keep tucked quietly away in the recesses of your mind, a part that you firmly believe is just a fantasy? And no, I'm not speaking in terms of personality integration. I will elaborate.

Inside me there lives an artist. She is an artist who paints with watercolors. She paints delectable, dainty tableaux in muted Victorian colors with oodles of blossoms and lace. She paints portraits of elegant women with translucent skin like the one above, and babies swathed in lace christening gowns and little girls with ringlets caught up in huge satin bows. She sips tea out of fine china cups that let the light shine through, and she lives in a loft in Paris and watches the world stroll by her windows that face north, because that's where the best light lives. And she cradles a white Persian cat while she watches and sips and dreams.

Me? I can't draw a straight line. Okay, so maybe I can draw a little. This is one of my drawings. I live in a world littered with tiny bits of glass, and most of my cats are Russian blue or coal black. I work with needle and thread, and watercolors just frustrate me (yes, I gave them a try). My windows face east and west, where I get to watch glorious sunsets. And no one walks down our road, but we do get to hear the coyotes sing almost every night. It's a long way from here to Paris, unless you mean Paris, Texas. I also have a writer who lives in there (I have written and have won small awards), and a singer (once upon a time), and a photographer (I try), a free spirited hippie chick, and a gypsy queen who dances in the moonlight (did that, too). They all get along quite well, not that I'm talking to my other identities or anything.

My point is this. If I did not have all those other creative personae screaming for attention in the back of my mind, would I still have the strong streak of creativity that drives me to do what I love to do? So there, beadlings, is your question for the day.

I am working on a little "thank you" for Miss A, who had to load the car for Mommy and help Daddy set up Mommy's booth at the ASG exhibit and show. She's such a good kid! They are both good kids. Aw hell, let's just throw T-man in there too! I'm a lucky, lucky woman!

I Made Something Yesterday

My goodness, what big beads you have! I realize Mardi Gras was last week, but just could not resist showing you this picture.

It is true that I made something yesterday, something with beads and a needle and thread. I stitched one of Deb Moffett-Hall's crystal ornaments for my mom. I stitched the Winter Birds, because my mother is a bird watcher. And I really like Deb's patterns.

Today A is home with an upset tummy (although she seems to be fine right now). It's gorgeous outside, so I'm going to open the blinds, turn on my work lights and see what comes out of the needle today. I've got a couple of things that need to get finished, so I'll probably work on them. But not until I've looked at my new books! That's right, I haven't really looked at them yet! Well, hell's bells, why am I sitting at the computer?? Why didn't you nudge me when you heard this news?

Today's quote:

The life of the creative man is lead, directed and controlled by boredom. Avoiding boredom is one of our most important purposes. Saul Steinberg

I'm off to avoid boredom!

My Head Is Full Of Mush

Okay, an explanation for that title is probably in order. I have all these fantastic ideas for jewelry, dolls, etc. floating in my brain. Constantly. My brain never seems to stop whirling (and I realize that might sound a bit bipolar). Sometimes I write the ideas down, sometimes they even manifest themselves. But there is so much going on in there that I cannot possibly keep up most days. I don't want to spend all my time taking notes. I'd much rather spend it in front of a pile of beads with needle and thread in hand! So I remain stuck in a whirling vortex, adrift in a sea of ideas, mired in . . . . I think you get the picture.

Yesterday I took KC (who is pretty much a baby beader even though she has strung and she has torched and she has fused) to visit a couple of the local bead stores. I took A with us and we took KC's teenager with us (cute as a button!). My little Miss A is invited to a big b-day party next week, so we picked out some cute, cute beads to make a bracelet for the birthday girl. I got some yummy glass beads (of course) and a few margaritas (no, not the drink) at the wonderful Mica Beads & Jewelry in San Antonio (unfortunately, they do not have a web site). Then off we went back to Austin to my fave LBS. I got some metal components and a few beads. KC grabbed up some Charlottes that were on sale. I have to admit, it's impressive when a baby beader gravitates to charlottes and crystals right off the bat! Then it was off to the book store, where I got my copy of Laura McCabe's new book Creating Crystal Jewelry with Swarovski. And I got a copy of Somerset Studio's Artful Blogging. And basically, perusing those two books will add to the mush that is my brain. *sigh* Maybe I should go attempt to execute something. Ciao!

Hellooooooo!

Wow, I feel like I've been gone for ages. It must be blog withdrawal or something. I spent a lovely morning with the Beadalicious Beading Babes in South Austin. Much hilarity and jollility was had by all. These little Friday get-togethers have become more important since I realized at the bead retreat just how much of a hermit I have become!

So, I guess you want details of the Austin Stitchers' exhibit and show, huh? Just promise to read my details first, and then go read Margot Potter's details about her trip to Tucson for the shows there. I'm so jealous! I've wanted to go for years, and her stories will make mine seem piddly, but I digress.

Okie dokie, here we go. The very first thing I did was to herniate a disc in my lower back with the very first thing I picked up to load into the car. I have a very light-weight table that I use, and as I walked out the front door with it, the wind caught it. But I didn't let go, oh no, no, no! And then I stumbled, and that was all she wrote. So I called T-man. "Can you come help me load the car?" No, he was the only person in the office at that time. "Can you meet me over there?" Sure. Well, I tried to pick up a box and carry it to the car. Oh, duh! Yeah, yeah, I know. Now it's time for A to be home from school (it's getting later and later at this point), and as she comes in I tell her how she's going to load the car for me and then help Dad set up my booth. So, off we go, only to get stuck in traffic in between two wrecks, and what should have been a 30 minute drive has taken two hours. We got there with just enough time to set up before the deadline. Everything else that weekend was a piece of cake. There was lots of schmoozing, lots of selling, lots of ooohs and aaaaahs, Donna won a ribbon with my design so people have requested more kits, I got to see some old friends and made a couple of new friends, I got some nifty new tools, I had the most wonderful chocolate cake I've ever eaten, and what was really three days of hard work was very enjoyable. There were some amazing pieces in the exhibit, as always, and I really regret not having my camera there.

Can I tell you how much I enjoyed doing a trunk show? Oh my stars, it was such a blast to have all those other designs in the booth! And extremely low stress to boot! I loved it. I want to do it again. I've discussed it with my distributor and we will probably do the same thing come May, so stay tuned! I sold out of several kits, both mine and hers, and I sold out of a few patterns. We definitely came home a little lighter. By the way, this was my 10-year anniversary with the Austin Stitchery Guild, so it was even more special to do this particular show. They are still some of my favorite people when it comes to beady things.

Some of you who were there noticed that I did this show solo, which I have never done before. Well, I usually get my dear Joyce to help me, but since she has become Regional Director for the South Central Region of the Embroiders' Guild of America, she hasn't had a lot of spare time. (I wanted to make sure I got the entire title in there, Your Majesty!) I did get a chance to give her a little something, which is pictured below. The pattern was adapted from one of Suzanne Cooper's patterns, called India. When I saw the pattern, it just seemed to have Joyce stamped all over it. The one thing I neglected to do was take my camera so I could get a picture of Joyce wearing her new goodies. Damn. Joyce does a lot to promote me and my little venture. I can never properly repay for the things she does and I wanted to do something special for her.

So, there it is. That's about all that happened. I had a good time, as always. And I'm ready to do it again, after a few days of rest. I'll be back Monday morning, bright and early. Have a great weekend, and bead your little hearts out!

And Here It Is Wednesday Already!

My, my, my how time flies when having so much fun. I went to the new ENT doc yesterday. Yours truly has a long uvula. Yep, I have a long one. How many of us girls can say that with confidence? HAH! The sleep study is already scheduled. That should be interesting. Apparently, the elongated uvula is potentially serious, in that it may be blocking my airway at night! Well, we'll find out in a couple of weeks.

And nothing much is happening here. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it's chilly, but it will be quite warm later. Basically, it's good cold and flu weather. I've got some things to do today, so I will leave you with this:

Nothing encourages creativity like the chance to fall flat on one's face. ~ James D. Finley

Monday, Monday

I'm back. The show was a lot of fun, but I'm exhausted and I've got lots to do. I did get to visit with quite a few old friends, and made a couple of new friends, but more on that tomorrow afternoon. I'll have more time for a good, long post then.
I am very proud to say that Donna Jansma won a ribbon for her interpretation of my necklace, "This Side of Midnight". Yay Donna! There were over 400 items displayed in various techniques of the needle arts, and they were all exquisite. More tomorrow, gang. I need a nap and some food and then I must count kits, etc. Later!

Show Mode

T-man had to actually stop me this morning to get a kiss goodbye. I'm in full out show mode. I'm scurrying through the bead room, gathering displays, shopping bags, and odds and ends to make a pile in the living room, that will fit neatly into the Cruiser to be set up in splendid display this evening.

This is not (I repeat NOT) my favorite part of doing any type of show. My favorite part is the schmoozing. I get to see friends and acquaintances, some of whom I only see at whatever particular show I'm doing. And yes, it is exhausting, so much so that I will probably nap every day next week! But it is wonderful to get to chat and giggle and share. I suppose this is the reason I continue to do any type of show.


Tomorrow through Sunday I will be selling, chatting, schmoozing. I hope I see a few of you there.

Time, Time, Time

I need more time in each day. Yes, this is what I have decided. More time is needed to do things I wish to do. I need it, I want it, I've got to have it. Now, how do I make the rotation of the earth slow down?

Self-portrait:So today was the last of the blood tests for the endocrinologist. We pretty much know what's NOT wrong with me, but we are still trying to find out what IS wrong with me (other than the obvious things, thank you). Oh, and I get to do a sleep study to find out why I have insomnia. And who knows what else. I guess the best is yet to come, right? And any day on the sunny side of the dirt is a good day!

I must make this short again. I've got some kits to put together, some instruction packets to price and I must locate all my display items in the mess that is my studio right now. I will be glad when the living room is finished and all the stuff can go back in there. We might just need to have a yard sale soon! Would I add beads in there? It's entirely possible. We'll just have to wait and see! Until tomorrow, beadlings!

A Chicken Without A Head

That's me, running around in circles, flapping my wings, getting no where fast. What? You expected me to post a picture of headless chicken? Nooooo, that would get me in trouble with PETA. So instead, you get a picture of one of my best selling patterns.

I got the boxes from Tracey with the goodies for this weekend's Austin Stitchers' Stitching From the Heart exhibit. In addition to my kits, patterns and instructions, I'll also have items from Threaded Needle Designs, Deb Moffet-Hall, Chris Maines (patterns for a Muse doll), Dawn Dalto, and Ann Paxton (she no longer has a web site, but you know her work when you see it). Plus, I'll have some Delica beads on hand and a few extras. I love this show, and love the ladies (and gentlemen) who put it together.

So, today is a very, very short post as I must get my crap together in just a few short days! But then I work well under a bit of pressure. So, I will leave you with what A said as I dropped her at school this morning: “Is it Friday yet? It’s Monday and I’m at school and I’m already bored.” Oh, she is sooooo her daddy’s child!

Catch you later!

Vampires Suck

I saw the witch doctor and this is what he said. "One more test." Yep, one more blood test and if it doesn't show what he's looking for, then I must find another specialist for another part of the body. At least the phlebotomists at the clinic I go are good and fairly painless. *sigh* And if this test does show what he's looking for, it's easily fixed. Cross your fingers.

I need to take photos, and it's a perfect day for it. It's gorgeous outside and T-man is taking a day off, which he richly deserves. I do believe he's going to putter in his workshop or just veg in front of the telly. Then we're going to have Family Night with a bad sci-fi movie and card games while we make fun of the movie. So, a little work and a little play make for a much happier me. Tomorrow I need to type up some instructions and put together a few new kits for the show next weekend with the Austin Stithcers. This is the Nefertiti Earring. Coming soon to ears near you! I'm off, but then y'all knew that, didn't you?