Morning Workout

On Wednesday and Friday mornings I meet with my personal trainer. I seriously can't believe that I pay someone to kick my butt for 30 minutes! But my body is toning up and I defently couldn't do that on my own because I know I wouldn't get my butt out of bed and go workout without knowing Phillip wouldn't be there waiting. So the whole point of me telling you this Is to tell you about my new favorite breakfast food. Dannon has came out with a new yogurt that is called Toasted Coconut Vanilla and they also have a Pineapple Coconut that is divine! If you have not tried I yet and you like yogurt then you must add it to your grocery list!

In other news, Crissy came by yesterday and showed me a lot of new things that she had made out of the Beaded Fantasies book so look for new pics tomorrow




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Days like today.....

Days like today drive me crazy.  For some reason I woke up stressed and anxious about the day.  I'm not sure why or what causes it.  Maybe its just part of owning your own business. I woke up worried about kits and emails and tutorials and just life in general. This doesn't happen often but when it does I'm stressed and off my rocker for the rest of the day. I'm going to go and watch the Season Finale of Bethany Ever After and hopefully that will destress me a little bit for the day.......

Been working on new videos today!

Today was spent working on new videos and listing new items in our etsy store.  I decided while we were at the beach that I was going to be more in depth with my videos not only for the online community but for my locals.  The first picture is of the 4 color ways that I came up with for this weeks video.  This week's video is called the Dazzling Dome Ring.  I came up with this new ring when trying to come up with something to use a larger montee with. I have already listed a tutorial and kits on our etsy page.

The blue earrings below are one's that I created this weekend. This is next week's free video.

I also worked and listed the 3 new kits for the Carolina's in the Morning Bracelet.

And finally I worked on a custom order for a customer.  She is going to wear this to her wedding.

MIA

Sorry I've been MIA this week but boy has it been busy!  I got home from vacation Monday and I've been running ever since.  It all started on our way home.... We have been looking at buying a new car in the last few weeks. I knew what I wanted but finding it was the hard part.  I wanted a Kia Soul Exclamation but they are like finding a needle in a hay stack.  I found one a few weeks ago but it was red and I really wanted green.  We stopped at a really big Kia dealership on the way home and I found my car!  I was so happy.  Hard part was that we had to completely unpack the old car and transfer everything over to the new car.  The picture below is of us driving off the lot.  I really wish you could see how full the car was when we left!

Once I got home I started working on new patterns, kits, and special orders.  I did a lot of thinking at the beach about my business and the direction I wanted to go in.  I made the decision to focus more on my online video, sales, and kits rather than worrying about our local economy and lack of local support.  I love doing my videos and I love the feed back I get from all of you.  So with that being said I also did a lot of thinking about my videos.  I am still going to do them but they are going to be better!  Starting with the next video, I am going to do the project and show at least 4 color samples so that people can see different colors and materials being used.  Once the video is loaded on youtube I will then upload a PDF pattern for sale at a discounted price in our etsy store.  The PDF patterns are great for people who like to have a pattern in front of them.  I know I like to have one in front of me!  Even though the pattern will be at a discounted price you can still expect to see my great step by step patterns with wonderful color pictures. We will also be listing kits in our etsy store for the color ways that you will see in the videos.  By doing this I am hoping to help the customers who have a hard time picking out colors.

By making the decision I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.  I still have a few other things to work out but all in all i feel like i'm on the right track.

I want to share some pictures with you of some more projects that have been made from the Beaded Fantasies book.  One of my favorite customer Laurie bought the book about 2 weeks ago and tackled the book cover project. She did a great job and it turned out wonderful!

Kim also worked on the project from Page 18 and this is the result:

Beach Fest

What a weekend it's been! Sammy, my friend Gina, and I went to Myrtle Beach SC this weekend to go to Beach Fest. It featured all sorts of wonderful Christian artists. We had a blast! It was so great to be able to see the beach, be with two of my best friends, and fill my spirit being filled and rejuvenated. I hate to have to to go home tomorrow but we must. Im excited though because when we get home I'm on the hunt for a new car!


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Mothers Day Last Minute Crunch

I had to take a break from working on projects from the Beaded Fantasies book last week to work on and finish up Mothers Day gifts for my Mom and Mother-In-Law.  I finished up the gold and purple La Fleur Bracelet for my Mother-In-Law and then I worked and made the necklace below for my mom. I made two components from my Beautiful Blossoms bracelet and made a three strand necklace. My mom wears a lot of black and blue at work so I wanted to make her something that she could wear with both colors. In the end both moms loved their gifts so I was a happy girl.

Before I started working on gifts I started working on page 121 in the Beaded Fantasies book. It is a beautiful necklace that uses lots of different beads.  I was busy working on it last night. I was sitting in the living room working on my little bead board.  I was in my happy place.  It was starting to storm and all the sudden my weenie dog got scared and jumped right in the middle of my bead tray. Beads went everywhere!  All i could do was sit there and looked shocked.  So, now my bead board has beads scattered everywhere. I guess the necklace will take me longer to make then I originally thought because now it's going to take me an hour just to separate my beads again.  Oh the things we beaders do......

What was I thinking?

I amaze myself at the things I get myself into. Sometimes I just have to wonder...what was I thinking?  Yesterday I was looking through Beaded Fantasies and I decided that the Sparkling Tops Necklace on page 121 would be a great gift for my mom for Mothers Day.  Well I really don't think I took into account how long it would actually take to make the piece.  I worked for over an hour and a half last night and only got 6 components made.  The necklace takes 39! So I'm on a hunt for something else to make for mom.  I am however going to continue with the necklace because I'm loving the colors I picked. They are completely out of my normal color range.  I am using denim blues and metallic purples with gold seed beads.  The picture below is what my bead mat looked like this morning before I left the house.  I knew if I brought the project with me to work today that I would get nothing accomplished because I would want to work on the necklace. 

If you are planning to make this necklace it seems like a slow start on the first two components because you are trying to figure out the pattern. I was able to not even look at the book anymore. It's just a repeative pattern. 

Little Lantern Earrings and Granada Brooch

Kim and I have been busy working on new goodies from Sabines book.  The first few pictures are of the Granada Brooch which is on page 115. I was absolutely amazed at how this piece came together.  It was so fun to make. I haven't completely finished it off yet because I'm trying to decide if I want it as a brooch or a pendant.

Kim worked on the Little Lantern Earrings from page 24.  She made her first pair for our friend Darlene's birthday.  She loved them!  Kim said that they were quick and easy to make and look very elegant finished.

As we speak she's working on a second pair.  She was finished with one component so I went ahead and took a picture.

We got in a shipment of chatons at the end of last week so Kim used the Rose Water Opal and made another La Fleur bracelet.  She sold it right away!

meg Cabot read along

For those of you who know me, you know that I love to read. I mostly like to read young adult books because they are clean. You don't have to worry about foul language or crazy sex scenes. I was searching the web the other day and found this great website called www.bookclubgirl.com. It is a really fun website that you can sign up to be in book clubs for various young adult books. I signed up for a new read along with books by Meg Cabot. The first book to read is called "The Boy Next Door." Discussiom for the book is set for May 22 so I guess I better get to reading. In the meantime though I have been thinking of some new jewelry designs so hopefully I'll get to read the book and be creative over the weekend. Kim made another La Fleur bracelet today using the Rose Water Opal as the ss39. I will try and post a picture of it tomorrow so you guys can see it.

More Progress in Beaded Fantasies Book

Kim dropped by today and showed me the pieces she had finished so far in the Beaded Fantasies Book.  Here's what she's done so far....

Here is the Double Star Earrings from page 74 

This is her finished La Fleur Bracelet on page 45

Granada Brooch from page 115

And finally earrings to match her La Fleur Bracelet.

I worked and got the Double Star Earrings made.  July 4th is coming up soon so I made mine with Sapphire and Light Siam.  These will be great for Independence day.  I have all my components from the La Fleur Bracelet finished and I just need to put the clasp on.  Up next for me.. the Granada Brooch.

Happy May Day, Batman Day, Mother Goose Day, etc.

Wow May.  Thats all I can say.  Time feels like it just flies these days.  I guess life keeps us so busy that we can't help but lose track of time.  One of my favorite things to do each month is to look at a fun website called brownielocks.com.  This is a fun website that tells you all the weird monthly holidays.  Did you know that today is:

Amtrak Day

Batman Day

Childhood Depression Awareness Day

Executive Coaching Day

Global Love Day

Keep Kids Alive Drive Day

Law Day

Lei Day

May Day

Loyalty Day

Mother Goose Day

National Dance Day

New Homeowners Day

School Principles Day

Silver Star Day

Step Mothers Day

World Asthma Day

Whatever happened to just May 1st?  If you could create one day what would you call it?  I think mine would be Stay at home and read a book day, or Show love to a local bead store day, or National Bead all Day Day....