Love Your Earrings!

Do you fret because you can't buy those lovelies you see at your local craft fair or art show or simply on Etsy? These will be in my shop soon.

The earrings to the right are a favorite pair with a lime green (bad photo) magnesite ball, a Vintaj brass drop and Vintaj brass ear wires. I am loathe to part with them. They  have a matching bracelet. Yes, in the Etsy store soon.

I consider myself lucky as I can wear just about any metal with no problem. HOWEVER, I realize that a lot of my customers simply cannot wear anything other than sterling silver. Some cannot even wear sterling. I have found a temporary solution for you at One Good Thing by Jillee, which is a great blog full of homemade goodness from cooking to cleaning.

Here's the link to a simple remedy to keep your sensitive ears sensitive but still wear those cute earrings you've been eyeing. No you have no excuse - go forth and shop!

  

Everything Old Is New Again

Sunflower Earrings Tutorial
Copyright 2013 Theresa Buchle

So, what's new? Me? Well, I've actually reverted to old tricks - sort of. The T-man has a brand new gig and I am now helping him in a temporary capacity as his Girl Friday, but I am also back in my little studio space doing my own thing. Half a day here, half a day there - most of the time it works that way. Right now it's the best of both worlds. And unfortunately to do that Girl Friday gig I had to give up the teaching spot at Nomadic Notions but they will always hold a dear spot in my heart.  It doesn't mean I won't be teaching, it just means I'm on hiatus while I take care of clearing off my work table in my studio. It seems to be cluttered with beads and such.

So for now, I'll be loading the Etsy shop with tutorials like the one you see above. That's the Sunflower Earrings Tutorial and that gorgeous sample was beaded by my bead angel Gaye. She does a wonderful job of beading samples for me. Give her a big round of beady applause!

So, it's nice to see you again. I'll be back in a couple of days with more beady goodness. Keep on beading on!

Hey! Guess What!

The Etsy store now has instant downloads!

AND you can now use credit cards and/or Etsy gift cards!

AND I am working on adding some new tutorials and some revamped old favorites!

AND I've got a room full of beads just waiting to be made into interesting pieces of jewelry which will go somewhere on the Internet! *gasp*

What's that? What's going on? Well, I'm off my feet for a couple of weeks so I am making the best of it. Stay tuned!

Swap Tease!

I received my beads from my partner, Julia Gerlach. Next week I'll give you nice clear pictures of what we sent each other. I like to keep things under wraps almost up until time for the big reveal. Let me say once again - it's like she read my mind. She sent my favorite color palette, so y'all know there is a bit of olivene green with some violet in there somewhere.

And yes, I went missing in action again. I won't bore you with the ongoing details BUT if your pharmacy gives you pills that are dyed in wonderful colors, think twice before ingesting as those dyes can have adverse effects. It will get better. At this point I'm trying to figure out how to put them into jewelry. I am positive there is a way.

Hey - March 17, 1:00 - 4:00 - The Bangles in their return engagement at Nomadic Notions!

Two new items were added to the Etsy store. It's not much, but it's a start. And there is more of that on the near horizon along with more beading and more writing.

I'm back!

Metamorphosis

Definition of METAMORPHOSIS

1a : change of physical form, structure, or substance especially by supernatural means
1b : a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances
2: a typically marked and more or less abrupt developmental change in the form or structure of an animal (as a butterfly or a frog) occurring subsequent to birth or hatching

Sometimes I feel as though I exist in an endless state of metamorphosis, constantly withdrawing and reemerging, slightly altered. My head fills with ideas that I hesitate to execute for fear they will fail, so I close myself off. Once in a while I let something emerge which is lauded and applauded, so I stick my head out. Then insecurity strikes and back inside the cocoon I go, trying hard to reinvent the wheel. I can be my own worst enemy.




This state of constant reinvention can be a bit stressful. The endless closing and opening of the door tires the muscles, like a repetitive muscle injury. But the little company may have become a little stagnant and I think it needs to be freshened up. So it's time for a little metamorphosis. Of course, this entails a lot of thought and execution, much research and development, and some retooling -- all the things I thought I got away from when I left corporate USA. And don't confuse metamorphosis with growth - we're talking noticeable alteration versus gradual, progressive development. Believe me, constant growth is much simpler than metamorphosis any day!




There is a HUGE list of things to be done just to get the ball rolling. My poor website waits patiently for its remodel. My Twitter page has been totally neglected. My Etsy store is starved for attention. I need a fan page on Facebook. New patterns have been drafted but not marketed, much less stitched. Off the top of my head I've got three teaching proposals due by the end of the year that need samples completed, then instructions need to be typed (these are the ones that have been sent. I still have more to hunt). Housekeeping? To paraphrase my dear friend Cat, if you see a mess you clean it up. These are the times I wish for a replicator just to have a couple more of me to get everything done.




So it comes down to this: it is time to fully emerge and get something accomplished. I can't say for sure what it will be. After all, the journey is the thing, right? So, in another paraphrase:

Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Creative Thoughts

This is a "skewered dragon-fae" necklace that I made for my dear friend Michelle back in July. It was a special request, right down to the beautiful blues. Michelle and I met way back when I belonged to the fantasy/medieval role playing group (the same one wherein I met the love of my life). Once upon a time, Michelle and I did not speak to each other for years, which was a very sad time for me. We have since found our way back to each other, for which I'm exceedingly grateful. It's not easy to find good friends. It's even more difficult to hold on to them. I kept forgetting to post the picture of her birthday present! Her birthday is three days after mine, and her celebration was absolutely fantastic -- it was at a CHOCOLATE AND WINE BAR in Austin! Heavenly!!

And I've been trying to take my mind off my pain. It's a little worse this time, but this knee was in worse shape. Anyway . . .

I'm looking more at fibers. I left off fibers a while back, thinking that I just didn't have time to play with them. I might be wrong. I'm still hungering to work with wire more. I feel that if I make more of my own findings, the pieces will belong to me even more so. Of course, that might make parting with them even more difficult. Then there is metal. Geez, I love copper and bronze and etching seems not so difficult to do so I really, really want to.

But I also have to consider what I've chosen to do for a living and try to work all my little desires into the time I have left over when not coaxing little bits of glass into pleasing shapes and then writing down how to exactly that for others. And I couldn't leave those infuriating bits of melted sand if you held a gun to my head. As a result of all this musing, I've also been trying to think of ways to meld a few of the "I wants" with the tiny beads. Aha! (Believe me, it's probably much more difficult for me than it sounds.)

I'm also trying to come up with little items to stock in the Etsy store that folks might like to purchase for holiday gifts, and I've made the monumental decision to offer my patterns, tutorials and kits in the Etsy store. At this point I would like to open the floor to you, beadlings, to find out what you would like to see out of my repetoire of said patterns/tutorials/kits. Just remember that I'm still not up to full steam, so it will be a trickle of goodies, not a huge flood!

Have a beadiful weekend!

More Giveaways!

Did you think I'd forgotten? Nah, I was just waiting. And yes, I need to put together my own giveaway -- I have not forgotten that, either. I just need to be able to get to some of the stash (Jennifer asked about a destash giveaway, and since I won the earrings from her I thought that might appropriate).

Beverly Herman is giving away a lovely bracelet created by none other than herself. If you've never seen Bevvie's work in person, you are missing out on some great eye candy.

Lorelei is having the fourth Green Girl Studios giveaway. There is still time to enter and win beautiful beads and charms.

And this chart from Fire Mountain Gems is just too handy. Download it as a .PDF to keep on your computer. It's FREE! (that makes it a giveaway!)

I'm working on a kit I bought a couple of years ago from Beads East a couple of years ago. I felt like learning a little something different and honing old skills. I've got four new pair of earrings to take photos of and put in the Etsy shop, but *gasp* it is cloudy and RAINING today! And while this is a welcome change (it MIGHT get to 90° today), it makes for poor photo ops. Oh well! Rain, rain, rain! If my knee were healed a little more, I might go do a dance in it! Bead on, beadlings!!

Everything Is Peachy Keen!

I'm busy adding items to the Etsy shop this week. That means lots of work with the camera, which is nothing but frustrating for me. Oh well, I'll get over it. There is just so much to photograph! I've been very remiss and have ignored my little enterprise for way too long. These are my Peachy Keen Earrings, now available.
I've also added the $5.00 tutorial for my Fields of Gold Bracelet, aka Wild Blue and Purple Haze. To those of you who have responded, thank you so much for your comments and support. When it comes to things like this, it's nice to know we all really do stick together. Beaders and jewelry designers rock! ♥

Angry And Working On It

So the LBS has changed one of the pictures for the bracelet class, making it look a little less like my Fields of Gold, HOWEVER, it is still the same bracelet and I am still offering you the instructions for only $5.00. All you have to do is email me at theresa AT tbuchle DOT com and we can do a Pay Pal transaction, after which you will receive a wonderful PDF for your use. Be sure to include the email address you use for your Pay Pal transactions. In the meantime, I'm taking photos to add goodies to my Etsy store and trying to stay cool. I sincerely hope no one else is melting!

Such A Boring Day

According to my calendar, today I need to do some paperwork. It's nothing big or dire, it's just things that need to be done. I need to update the calendar some more, write a class description, update my resumé/bio, and fill out a proposal or two. It sounds like such a little bit, right? Ugh. I mess around and take my time because I hate trying to describe what we're going to do when it's so much easier for me to show you, I hate tooting my own horn, and class proposals bring out all of my insecurities.

Speaking of insecurities, I did two small paintings this week. Of course, my family sings their praises and I don't even have to pay them to do so! The first one was getting used to the canvas and paints. It looks like it was done by a five-year-old. The second is okay. After paperwork today, I'm going to try sketching out a design for the next one. Why am I painting? A friend talked me into doing paintings for her apartment models after she found out that I like to play with paints and I said yes. The canvas that frightens me is the 36"x36", although I have definite idea of what is going on it. Let's just say I am a hack and leave it at that. But hey, I'm sitting here watching a guy make a pineapple in a shadow box using duct tape, a glue gun, caulk, and paint, using a pencil to texture the paint. It actually looked like a pineapple when he finished. Obviously, I am not pushing myself enough.

I also made two pair of earrings this weekend, which just goes to show what happens when I'm intently procrastinating. But according to the calendar, photo day is Friday this week. And yes, I've got something specific scheduled for every day this week.

Now on the Pay It Forward Prize Front, you are still not there. However, someone is very, VERY close. T-man says I'm being too vague in my hints. Well, it's not a palette I use very often, it's not the colors in the prize package, and it is pretty much a brand new crayon in my box. Even if you have already guessed, give it another go. Here is a BIG hint: look at my Etsy store for a clue.

I'm off! (Most of you already know that.)

Selected Randomness . . .

No big topic today, just random thoughts, which totally goes against Blogging Without Obligation. But as I have said, I have not yet committed to B.W.O. completely.

So, I was cruising Etsy. I like to look at the Treasury and the Time Machine, and sometimes the Showcase. I love how on Etsy the 70's and 80's are vintage. My goodness, I must be ancient! The vintage beads I've sold were all dated prior to 1920, and I was always told that antique referred to 100 years or older. Hmmm . . . . my favorite wine is a good vintage at 2006. What are your thoughts? Here is the definition of "vintage" according to Webster's Dictionary:

Pronunciation: \vin-tij\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, probably alteration of vendage, from Anglo-French vendage, vendenge, from Latin vindemia grape-gathering, vintage, from vinum wine, grapes + demere to take off, from de- + emere to take — more at wine, redeem
Date: 15th century
1 a (1): a season's yield of grapes or wine from a vineyard (2): wine; especially : a usually superior wine all or most of which comes from a single year b: a collection of contemporaneous and similar persons or things : crop
2: the act or time of harvesting grapes or making wine
3 a: a period of origin or manufacture (a piano of 1845 vintage) b: length of existence : age

The taxes are done. Turbo Tax rocks. We are getting a refund (yippee) which helps immensely. I love my little tax deductions. They are the joy of my life. Now, if we can just figure out a way to deduct the cats, everything will be wonderful. I'll help Natalie do hers tonight, if she's here. Ah, the life of a teenager. Even though I'm vintage, I can still remember the 70's. It's the 80's that are sometimes blurry.

Today is filled with more stitching, trying to finish just two more projects. I can't wait to start typing instructions and making graphics (she said sarcastically). Oh yes, that is so much fun. But hey, it's what I get paid for, right? And if I get it taken care of ASAP, maybe I can squeeze just one more project in there.

Last but not least, I have a wish list for this summer. First, I want a color laser printer. I keep thinking how much simpler my life might be with eight copies per minute. Second, I want a Fly Pen. If you don't know what this is, go to Fly World. I dream of just writing my notes and plugging the chip into the computer, and everything is all typed up and just needs to be refined, oh my stars, I can't wait, my life will finally, FINALLY, be simpler. YES, YES, YESSSSSSSS!!!!! Not only that, but it will probably be a big help to the girls with homework, too. See, I sometimes share! And there is probably more to the wish list, but right now those are the main things I would like to purchase. And since they are for work, they get deducted next year.

Next week, I'll add some new links to the blogs and I know I need to work on my web site and update it. I have some shows to add and some new pictures (hopefully). Work, work, work. Theresa is getting to be a very dull girl.

And on that note, I must be off! I'll post tomorrow, because after all, tomorrow is another day!

Creative Energy Abounds

Maybe it's the sun shining brightly, maybe it's cruising the Internet, maybe it's "chatting" on the creative life group, who knows? I'm going to run with it. By the way, it was 70 degrees yesterday when Miss A got home from school. It was 27 degrees when I took her back this morning. Sometimes I think that there is nothing on earth that changes as fast as the weather in Central Texas. But the sun is shining, and when it gets a little warmer, I'll open the windows and let some fresh air in. There are no blustery winds today! I added this picture I took of the girls a couple of years ago. They were so still and quiet for just a couple of moments, it was breathtaking. They were sitting by one of the ponds in Lost Maples State Natural Area. I love this picture of my babies.

I worked on designing my new business cards yesterday. Pretty snazzy, huh? And today, I'll be working on some new Etsy pieces, and I have preview for you.


Our question for the day on the creative life was:

Do you see your creativity as being a part of yourself that is separate from the rest of you, the part of you that everyone knows and sees? Do you keep it secret or hidden from most people? If so, why do you do that? If not, tell us about that. If you could fully integrate The Public You and The Creative You, how would you do that and what would it look like?

Hmm, it was actually four questions. But I digress. Okay, so what would your answers to these questions be?

How is the challenge coming? (Making Important Stuff) Give me updates please, and yes, I have started working on mine. I started it at the retreat and have about six inches of the neck piece beaded. I will take it with me on Friday when I go bead with the ladies in South Austin. Until then, may the farce be with you.

Here I Sit, With Cat In Lap

Do you have any idea how hard it is to type this way? From pictures I've seen, Carol Perrenoud beads with her cat in her lap. I'm not sure how that works, as Baby keeps putting her head in the crook of my arm and then rubbing. And apparently my lap is a most comfy spot for a bath! You would think I had been gone for a month instead of four days. You can't beat unconditional love, except maybe when you step on the foot of the adoring kitty. That's how closely she follows me. She's mad at me now, thinking I did it on purpose.

My Coral Reef bracelet is in the Etsy Treasury! Right now it's on the front page. I'm so excited! It's my first time! Woo hoo!!

I wear many hats. (How's that for a segue?) Today I am finishing up the new look of the web site. Right now it needs a lot of tweaking and editing, so don't go look until tomorrow. Then I'll revamp the blog. Then I'll take the new look over to the Etsy shop. And then N wants to set up a My Space page for me. I'm actually enjoying myself doing this. I just wish it went faster. Some days I just wish I could wiggle my nose and everything would be finished! Okay, maybe not everything, but lots of things would be done and I wouldn't have to worry about them anymore.

I leave you with this actual headline:

Court says monkeys, chimps can't sue
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuesday, January 22, 2008

SAN ANTONIO — A Texas appeals court has affirmed a lower court decision that a group of chimpanzees and monkeys that were brought to the Primarily Primates sanctuary in 2006 does not have a legal right to sue.

I guess it sucks to be a monkey in San Antonio!

Busy Bee

Addendum three hours later: OMG, I've bitten off way more than I can chew in one little day, so updates may not coalesce until next week. Baby steps may be the key here. I'm really planning a lot of changes, but didn't realize how many until I started making a list. And I've found LOTS of new places for you to browse. Busy, busy, busy . . .

Good morning, beadlings! Well, since Clara called me on my neglect of both web site and Etsy store, that's what I'll be doing today. Plus I've found a couple of things to add to the blog and I start putting my gear together for this weekend's retreat, so I will be a busy, busy bee today. Eeek!! I looked away for two minutes, and suddenly realized how much I have to do! I really need a replicator, or copier, or cloning machine or something!!

My little bee was designed for me by my brother, the graphic artist. Teal and turquoise, my empowering colors! He also designed my new logo. You can see some of his graphic designs here and some of his illustrations here, and his Cafe Press store here. I'm trying to get him to design a beading or stitching bear. Maybe you can help with that.

I did go by Pam's yesterday to pick up several prototypes of her new petal ring. I received many nice compliments on the one I wore. As soon as we see how they hold up, she'll start making more. I'll have an update on that next week.

I hope you had a good weekend. I know we did. I hope Monday isn't too rough on you and I will be back tomorrow, hopefully with updated places for you to visit! Keep on keepin' on!

At A Loss For Words

Hmmmm, what to type. I have no idea today. I have no beady insights, no words of wisdom, no creative suggestions. Hmmm. It's Friday, it's sunny here, and I'm going to try to finish up some things today. This weekend I'll update the web site and work on the Etsy shop. They are in such bad shape right now that I'm not even putting up a direct link. That's about all that is going on in my life. I feel like I'm letting you down today, so I'll leave you with one beady picture and a profound artsy quote: "Art is the only way to run away without leaving home." Twyla Tharp

Blah Humbug

Crikey, it is such a nasty day here on the prairie. *sigh* Sometimes I think I would be happy living in Hawaii, where the sun shines almost every day. Then I remember things that occur in Hawaii, like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes. Nope. I guess I'll just stay here for a few more years.

I do not like this time of year. I used to like it, when I was younger and had a sense of wonder. But now it's just too stressful, too commercial. I detest going into the stores right now. There was a story on one of the local news channels about how this year we seemed to move from Halloween straight into Christmas, with no Thanksgiving. Did you notice? There wasn't much said about Thanksgiving itself, and little was said about Thanksgiving sales (what happened on Black Friday?). I totally understand why craft stores start putting Christmas items out in July, but the grocery and hardware stores?? That started in September!! And the stress, oh my stars, the stress is just horrendous. T-mas is already feeling it, which makes me worry about him. It's not just monetary stress, either. There is the stress of which house do we go to on which day, traveling when we want to stay home, putting up with things we'd much rather not, what should we get for whom, etc. And I'm a bit sad that Thanksgiving was just glossed over. I appreciate that day, even if it is solely an American holiday. It reminds me that I should be thankful for all that I have, like a good husband and wonderful children, my supportive family, a good house, food to eat, loving friends. If we could channel some of the appreciation for what we have, rather than the commercialism of the season (which grows longer by the year), back into Christmas maybe it wouldn't be so depressing for so many people. By the way, A pointed out to me that we could make presents for everyone this year and boy, is she ready to get started! She may have an idea there.

So, on this dreary, wet, cold, dismal day during this overly commercialized, stressful time of year, I leave you with some tasty links.

Melanie at Earthenwood Studios has this great ornament in her Etsy shop. She has several "queen" ornaments, so there is probably one for each of us! She also has a wonderful step-by-step post on her blog of how the ornaments are made.

Heather Powers has free gift tags with her original art on her Humblebeads blog.

Suzanne Cooper has some holiday freebies on her site. And free box templates which are just the right size for jewelry here. A few bright spots in this horribly dreary day. I'll post more as I find them. I hope you are having a good day, wherever you are.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow

I won't be here tomorrow. T-man has a tank delivery waaaaaaay up north near Fort Worth. He does not like to take long drives by himself. Right now, he is probably on his way back from Lake Buchannan -- just a hop, skip and a jump away. Anyway, he asked if I would ride with him tomorrow. I said yes, fully cognizant of the fact that I will have to haul my fat butt out of bed at (as Anne T says) 0:dark:30. I'll take something to read and something to bead. Oh, the things we do for love.

Today I'm going to take some pictures for the Etsy shop. I've neglected it lately and it is feeling sad and lonely. Okay, not really, but I am feeling a bit guilty since I have a tray of fabulous earrings that need to be sitting there in the "shop" and not on the coffee table. I also need to redo some of the current photos and get some holiday specials up there. And I have an order of patterns to mail, since the printer finally decided it would start working again.

By the way, it is FREAKING cold out there. See? It's so cold I can't even use the word I prefer. I took A to school this morning and the thermometer said 31!!! On the upside, it's not raining/sleeting/snowing.

I leave you with a suggestion to read Clara's comments on yesterday's post, Fan Club Blues. My dear friend Clara definitely has a song for every occurrence! Adieu, mes amis! Au revoir!

Who Else is Having Split-Pea Soup for Thanksgiving?

Yes, that is correct -- split-pea soup. No, that is not what TrashCan and Oliver are sharing. This is N's request for Thanksgiving dinner. She does not like turkey (I do), she does like my stuffing (we all do). She likes all the desserts, but not the sweet potatoes (I do). We went camping for Thanksgiving the year before T-man and I got married and again a couple of years ago. Both times, we had split-pea soup on Thanksgiving day, and that is her request. Maybe we will get to go camping, also. We'll see. I'm not sure I want the split-pea soup to become a tradition.

So, Thanksgiving being less than a week away, what are your traditions? I'm not talking about your mother's traditions or your grandmother's traditions or your mother-in-law's traditions, but your very own traditions established now that you are an adult. I always fix a lemon curd tart. This is something I started doing when T-man and I got married. Every Thanksgiving, there is a lemon curd tart, and each of the girls has helped make it. I also make my very own wild rice/sausage/pecan stuffing -- not my mom's cornbread stuffing or his mom's bread stuffing, but my own recipe that came about from years of experimentation. And each of the girls picks a dessert that she wants me to fix, or that she fixes herself (last year N made her first apple pie). Share your traditions with us.

Tonight has been declared "family night" by A, which means really bad movies and games. We haven't had one in quite a while, and this causes her some concern. I'm very proud that at the ripe old age of ten, she realizes the value of family togetherness. "Family night" was something she came up with last year, and we tried to do it on a regular basis. We seem to have fallen away from that a bit, so she has decided to fix things. This is a tradition I like. We usually held "family night" on Saturday nights so we could watch bad sci-fi movies, but N won't be home Saturday, so we'll have to wing it on the bad movies!

Today I am working on the computer. I need to revamp the Etsy store and work on the web site. I'm trying to stay focused on this. It's like house-cleaning -- I can find so many other things to do. But it needs to be done. I need some cash flow, and the only way to generate it right now is via the WORLD WIDE WEB. The Internet is a wonderful thing, but using it properly takes some work. *sigh* Sometimes I wish I could just wiggle my nose like Samantha and get everything done.

Oh look! A puppy . . . . . . . .

Monday, Monday

Ya'll are so cool! Thank you so much. You have no idea how much it means to me to know that you actually come read my blog!

There was a time, not so long ago, when the days of the week just kind of melded together into one big blob and I never knew what day it was without asking. It wasn't drudgery that caused this. It was constant bead work (not to be confused with beadwork) without breaks. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. But I have never, ever liked Mondays. I have always thought three day weekends would be wonderful. I could easily start my week with Tuesday. But then would the Mamas & Papas actually have written "Tuesday, Tuesday"?


Today, I'm shipping off patterns and hedgehogs. Then I am finally putting projects together for the angels. Sorry ladies, last week was pretty much a wash. I have not forgotten you. AND I must take more photos for the Etsy shop and the website. I will also take a photo of the earrings I made for myself (yes, moi). Who knows what other mischief I'll get into. Maybe yoga, maybe yogurt (I haven't had breakfast yet).

And it's supposed to rain most of the day. After all, today is Monday, right?

Wasted Day

Okay, maybe not an entirely wasted day. I had an appointment with the rheumatologist this morning. Keep in mind that we live smack dab in the middle of Nowhere, so any specialist is pretty much in Austin. Except for this one who is in New Braunfels. She was the only doctor treating fibromyalgia that I could find without having to drive all the way to San Antonio. My eyes have suddenly begun to blur and I cannot even look at the TV without my glasses on. This has been very troubling to T-man, especially since the wonderful medication she put me on specifically for the fibro has a tendency to affect your eyes in a very bad way but, I found out today, only in very high dosage. Long story short, that medication is not the culprit (thank the stars above). But T, you might ask, what is causing the blurry vision?? Well, I'll tell you ---- it's the wonderful INEXPENSIVE medication she put me on to help me sleep. *sigh* The upside is that I'll be able to see again in a few days and perhaps get back to what I love to do, which was rather difficult lately. And she did give me samples of something new and we'll see how it goes.

I was hoping to put some more earrings in the Etsy shop, but it may have to wait until Friday. I am taking A to the doctor tomorrow. She has a very bad cough and it's keeping her up at night, poor baby. And she's miserable. Fortunately, this doctor is in Buda, which is much closer, but I will still feel like I've wasted an entire day doing things other than beading.

Don't you hate it when real life interferes with your fun??