Keeping my resolution

Well, sorta. I've been trying to at least do once a week during this busy, SNOWY time of year. Can it snow ONE MORE TIME? Honestly. I've been driving for 30 years - and I gotta tell ya - I still hate it. Hubby is taking me today, because I get so stressed out driving when it's snowy and slippery. And I HAVE to go today - I'm bringing the FOOD! If this week has been any indication of the winter to come - this is not going to be fun.
The gifts are bought and wrapped, the cooking and baking will begin when I get home tonight.
I still don't have much Christmas spirit - and can't wait for this whole holiday business to be done. BUT - on a good holiday business note - it sounds like things picked up at the shop. I'm not sure why it is that people seem to shop more when I'm not there - I can sit there for hours some days with either NO ONE, or "just looking, thanks" about a million times. I don't like leaving my shop unattended on a regular basis - but for some reason - my shoppers appreciate it when I do. So - Do I smell, or offend in some way? I definitely don't push or give the hard sell when I am there. Are people just put off by my appearance or what? I guess it shouldn't matter - at least I'm SELLING. There or not.
Well, better go get on with my snowy yucky day. It will be fun though - everyone will be gathering to give Ann & Penni their gifts.
Merry Holidays everyone!

HHRUKidding?

Finally got to drive the sweet ride today. All was well - until I tried to leave the mall. Key wouldn't turn. Steering wheel locked. Crazy. Had to have the boys come and help. I hate when that happens. Dad tried it a couple times, and then like magic - it starts right up. Crazy. Some sort of "security system" glitch. Yah, well - next time I drive it (danged if I'll let IT win) I'm removing the keyless entry box and just using the key. No buttons. No worries.
Family drama evolving around Christmas Eve. Kids grow up. Kids get married. Kids have other obligations. Moms can't understand why kids won't (or can't) change new obligations so that tradition doesn't have to be changed. And then there's the ever dramatic Elizabeth. Don't get me started. SOOOOOOO glad I don't have to play that game. Well - I sort of do - because it trickles down into my space, but my OWN kids? With their own drama? Nevah.....nevah, nevah, nevah!
Book's almost ready to publish. I'm still tweaking. April 1 is my deadline. I'm up to 40 pages now. Doesn't sound like much -but for a small book - it'll be just fine. The pictures are awesome. The ones Holly took especially (Amber on Buddha kicks ASS) - because they fit right into the space provided without me having to adjust them. How DOES she do that? Have to come up with some fresh text though. Maybe some sort of beading drama will unfold that I can be of service with, and then share the experience. Hmmm....
TTFN. Sure wish someone would start READING these blogs. Maybe once I link it to my website....

Wednesday Quickie

And no, not THAT kind of quickie. Now that I'm getting the hang of this, I thought I'd throw a "quick one" out there (now if I could just get other people to READ them).
What is it with Jehovah's Witnesses that they think they can just come to your door at any time of the day or night and you're going to be happy to see them? Do they really get that many converts that they STILL keep trying? 9:30am. 9:30! Still with wet hair and my robe. And she comes to the BACK DOOR. Where friends and family come. Not cool. Very annoying. And YES, I was rude. Don't like em. Don't want em around my house.
See told ya this would be about stuff that bugs me sometimes....
So many things to do today. Won't get home til after 8pm.
Have a happy!

Typical Tuesday

I'm trying to keep this blog current, but current events were slim today. I DID get 90% of my Christmas shopping done yesterday. Now I have to wrap, and ribbon, and mail a few too. By the looks of the line at the post office today - I am going to be spending a large portion of time that I'll never get back doing that!
I sure hope the shop lives up to my December expectations. Sales so far this month are very droopy, and there have just been some plain rude and uninterested people in there. The things people say - I don't think they realize that they're actually talking to the owner....Maybe I should start pointing that out!
That's all for now.
Let's hope tomorrow and Thursday (and Friday and Saturday) are much more exciting - in a good way!

What Am I doing wrong?

Ok. Every time I do a jewelry show, I say it's the last one because I make little or no money. But dang if I don't go and do it again, and sure enough - little or no money.
I'm not sure why the ones I do at Coyote have NO interest what so ever. My pieces are very metaphysical in nature. Goddesses, unicorns, semi precious beads. They don't even want to look. The customers have tunnel vision for that reading or class, I guess. It's a bummer though, to go through all the work of tagging and packing and hauling and dragging, and then sit there for 3 hours and have NO sales. It was basically a one person personal show for my friend Carole - who put a couple of things on hold - but didn't buy right yet either. I was really counting on the extra cash this month. I sure hope I can count on the 50 bucks that Haze Gallery owes me. I have a feeling they'll find a contract loophole - just from the way they run things - they're not gonna wanna give up that money so easy. But I followed ALL the rules - so they better not make me beg.
On a totally different subject (I seem to have a knack for that - a blog within a blog) I am very pleased with my decision to scale back my Christmas decorating this year. My new tree is only 4 .5 feet high - I decorated it in ONLY my irridescent white and glass snowflake ornaments. With the white lights - my hubby says it could have been decorated by a professional. Thanks. I THINK.
A blog within a blog within a blog......I've decided to make a New Year's Resolution this year. I usually don't - everyone making promises to themselves that 99% of them don't keep - but I've "resolved" to write in this blog at LEAST 4 days a week. (well, ok. Realistically - maybe only 3) But not gonna plan on everyday, cuz afterall I do have somewhat of a life (or not - giving me nothing to write about!). But I should be able to find 3 or 4 days worth of blog worthy drivvle....(is that even a word?) Even if it's just about the dog.....
TTFN The Babbling Beader

Let's try this again

I had a feeling when I started this newfangled blog thing that I would not do it everyday. Or even every week. Turns out - I didn't even do it every MONTH! Last post my birthday. Life has passed me by for an entire 6 weeks. Things happened, new presidents were elected, went places, did stuff. Yippee.
I am now officially IN for the East Lansing Public Art Gallery Exhibition in May 2009. Toot. My. Horn. It was a rather confusing road - but I'm hoping ultimately a profitable one. I think I'll be able to put some fairly high prices on some of the pieces. I'll have to see what the "market" is like come April or so. In the process of purchasing as many "shadowbox" frames as possible at as low a price as possible. That is how I will display many of my pieces. Hoping to come up with some unique accents that are easily attached inside as well. I've begun to create my newest detailed work - called 'The Exhibition' - just for the show. Lots and lots of riotous color - sorta like me. Vintage lucite. Silk flower petals. And lots and lots of seed bead flowers and roping. Lots of hours of work ahead - just the way I like it. I like coming up the complicated ones sometimes - I get so into them though - that I don't pay attention to who's around me - and miss customers sometimes. Maybe I should hang a sign on myself - shake if you need help!
Switching topic - or maybe I should just start a new post - wide awake at 3 am AGAIN. I've noticed a coorelation between my alcohol consumption and my sleep patterns. My mind also races more in the middle of the night too, for some reason. My latest "race" - my new boots. I all of a sudden got in my head that they weren't BOOTS at all - but SLIPPERS. And I've been wearing them EVERYWHERE for about 4 days! How embarrassing IF that were the case. I finally couldn't take the suspense and humiliation any longer and got on line to the Gitano/Fashion Bug site. Whew. They are indeed boots. Which makes sense since they were originally about 50 bucks. Who would pay 50 bucks for slippers? But the bottom of them is really weird - not an outdoor sole - but a soft, fuzzy slipper like sole. Which I just noticed last night. I'll have to be careful about wearing them out in bad weather - which so defeats the purpose of my warm, cozy, fur lined perfectly form fitting BOOTS. Yeah, boots.
Let's hope this blog thing catches on for me. You'd think since I love to write, and have been working on completing the book that I hope at least someone will want to buy (I'll get a few copies to sell in the shop - see what happens). Should have it done by January-ish.
Tata for now. Off to dreamland (I hope).....

The big "49"

Well, today's the day. 49. Yikes. So Happy B-day to me. I thought I would freak more being 49. But maybe the big freak will be next year - on the big 5-0. I heard an interesting comment on my soap opera of all places yesterday - but it sure rang true with me...
"The body may be "getting older", but in my mind I'm still 29". Yep. I could hardly move when I got out of bed this morning - getting that bum leg to cooperate in the morning is a b%@#. But my mind says - Hey, YAY, it's our birthday. Let's go play! So while I'm out at the salon, and the library, and shopping (just a few of my favorite things) - I'll be pretending I'm 29, forgetting about the aches and pains (a little ibuprofen may also help) - and having a great day!

Monday Musings

Boy, even though I attempt to take Mondays OFF, it sure seems like I fill them up with stuff to do. Today has been paperwork day. Submitting a professional proposal to The East Lansing Art Gallery for a public exhibition is very detailed work! And the hardest part about it - they want a photo of me - what they call "mid-arm to top of head". Yay. My favorite thing. A photo. So do I just have Terry take one with the digital - or do I quickly doll myself up and find a pro (hey, Holly!) to snap a few in time for me to submit. I need to send this by end of the month - but preferably SOONER. So now I'm at the point where I need to make copies, and go to the credit union, and get that wonderful photo done. And hey, lucky for me - I get to postpone some of it til tomorrow - because today is technically a holiday. During a Mercury Retrograde (sorry to all you non-astrologyese speaking peeps). So it figures that I can't do it all at once.....
And on a totally, completely unrelated note - my parents are just full of surprises now that they live down in Florida. They left last Monday to return home, and the air conditioning conked out in their somewhat older model Chevy Cavalier. Mom can't have that (can't stand the heat - but lives in Florida. Go figure). Anyway - didn't want to pay to have the AC rebuilt or repaired - so what do they do all in less than a 24 hour period? Trade in their car, and buy an almost brand spanking NEW HHR! An HHR. That's alot of SUV for them. I hope they like it. My concern is that the dealership took advantage of them in some way regarding the quick turnaround. Being so far away - it's not something we can help them with. I hope all goes well - and that they like it. Especially since when they DO come to Michigan, and we travel together - I get to be the one to DRIVE IT! WHOOHOOO!

Welcome to my World

I've been wanting to try this for awhile. Don't know if I'll even remember to "blog" in it every day. Here goes....
Is everyone else as tired of politics and scandal and the economy (oh, my) as I am? I know they're important, but really - how much can we take? I've found myself shutting off the TV, and putting in my favorite music in the car, because the negative press is about to get on my last nerve! What makes it hard to do from the politics standpoint is that I have a close friend that is currently running for election in a local commissioner race - so I have to pay attention - at least until November 5. Love ya, Laura honey, but really - politics? All I wanna do is bead!