We've got a website!

The Bead Mavens are now on the web; you can visit us there and find all the information you need about our Ice Queen Challenge.

Seeing Mikki and Peter's gorgeous creations makes me want to work harder on mine! I'm still waiting on one component of it, however, so I really can't work much faster than I have been. I'm hoping that the big brown truck with the guy in the cute shorts will stop at my house tomorrow with a package for me.

In the meantime, I will keep beading the bits I can until my special component arrives. Go take a look at our site, and happy beading on your Ice Queen.

say what?

There's something in the air today.

It started this morning, when my husband read his horoscope. It said that he would, "radiate contentment and anger." We had a good laugh over that one; I mean, how is that possible? How can anyone be content and angry at the same time?

Later events (fortunately not on the part of my husband, he is his usual self today!) made me realize that such an odd combination can, indeed, be possible. I have an acquaintance who is a drama queen. She stages fortnightly events that are most likely for the purpose of making her feel reassured; she has a huge tantrum, calls everything unfair, claims everyone is against her, and, by the end of it, everyone is trying to comfort her.

She appears to be quite content with her anger. I'm not. I'm tired of the drama; I'm worn out by her angry words. I'm sorry she's upset; it's too bad that she's unhappy. But - and this is a big but - her dissatisfaction doesn't give her the right to mess with my mind on what has become a fairly regular basis.

I'm all there when my friends need me, but I'm tired of having that need manufactured. That's a big step for me. Like I said in the beginning, there's something in the air today.

Breathe deeply.

Sedona

We took an unscheduled trip; we hopped in the car and ended up in Sedona. I think I love unplanned trips the best; it's fun to just head out and end up wherever we end up.

Of course, it doesn't always work out when we do that, but this time everything went perfectly. Our hotel was at the base of one of the wonderful red rock formations, and we enjoyed taking the hiking trail that started just outside our room. We also enjoyed gallery hopping and shopping.

We had to scrap our plans to stay in Flagstaff, however, as they were expecting snow. We remember snow, and we'd like to keep it a memory! Sedona was lovely and warm with gorgeous thunderstorms in the late afternoon; it was so much fun to watch them roll in over the hills.

It's an interesting time in our lives; we've only got one of our kids left at home, and he's barely here between his active social life and full-time job. I miss them, but it's fun to be able to take off at a moment's notice, too. I bought some gorgeous beads in Sedona; once I've finished the piece I'm working on, I'm going to make myself a necklace.

Red rocks, and stormy skies.

Note to self:

Don't use dyed beads on a design where the beads have no choice but to rub against each other.

Well, not if you want to color to last long enough to actually finish the piece.

'Nuff said.

Try, try again

If you remember my post from the other day, about how I always start with the stupidest way to do something, you'll be glad to know that I have found a much better way to do it. I scrapped the first mess and started again; no, you won't get to see a photo because this time it's working, and it will eventually become a pattern.

Then you can see it.

Of course, I also saw something today that got my mind moving on a new project, so I must bead as fast as I can to finish this one off so that I can start the next one. I both love it and hate it when that happens; I love knowing that I don't have to worry about not getting an idea for the next project, but, at the same time, it's hard for me to carry two projects in my mind at the same time.

This time it's not that difficult, though. The current project is now past the design stage and into the execution phase; I don't anticipate any redesigning or major changes in it. The next project is still in the nebulous, "oh, yes, I want to do something like that," phase and will need lots of thinking before I find a starting place.

But still: I think I need to bead faster.

Pioneer Day, 2010

It's Pioneer Day in Paso Robles, where the slogan is, "Leave your pocketbook at home."

That's because everything you want is free today; if what you want is a parade and a bowl full of baked beans. You can have a pot or a kettle full of beans if you bring your own pot or kettle - no charge - and the parade lasted for two hours this year, so that should be plenty of entertainment to satisfy anyone.

In the parade we had tractors, horses, kids, roller derby, more tractors, marching bands, scouts, lodges, shriners and more tractors. There were so many people in the parade, it was amazing that there was anyone left to watch it. I think the whole town turned out, however, and the sidewalks were packed. We found some nice seats on the curb and had a wonderful time.

After the festivities, we decided to indulge in a visit to a winery; that wasn't free, but the tasting fee was applied to our purchase, so now we have some lovely new wines to enjoy at home.

I always do things the hard way

It's a funny thing about designing; the first time I do something, it's like pulling teeth. No matter where I start, I always manage to find the hardest way to do it.

Take this little bit of beading.

I'm quite sure that I have found the most difficult and stupid way to assemble it; I will definitely not do it that way again. Can we say tangled thread, bits sliding off and a general mess, not once, but several times? However, by the time I've tinkered with it a few dozen times, I am quite sure that I will magically hit on a simple way to assemble it that is completely unknown to me right now.

How do I know this?

Because it happens every time. The instructions I write up skip all the stupid bits; they make it look easy. But actually, I go through quite a lot of beading contortions before I figure out an easy way to do something. I always seem to start the hard way; I don't know why that is, but it is what it is.

Cue Tina Turner . . . only backwards. I start rough, but I finish nice and easy.

I'm a Bead Maven!

Something very exciting has happened; I've been asked to join a wonderful group of fabulous bead weavers and teachers for a joint venture.

We're just in the very beginning stages so far, so I have no concrete details to give you yet, but the ideas that have been floating around are fabulous.

You can find all of the Bead Mavens on Facebook and on our blog. We'll be updating you there as things happen; with this group, things are sure to happen fast!

I can't wait to see what the future brings; I have a feeling it's going to be an exciting year.

Shining sky

I took this photo last night, but it was such an interesting night, I didn't get a chance to unload it and make a blog post.

After this beautiful bright early evening sky, we had a wonderful, far off thunder and lightning storm; we sat on our porch half the night and watched the show.

Apparently, it poured down rain about 15-20 miles south of us; we didn't get a drop. But it sure was a gorgeous show; great long forks of lightning lit up the sky and the thunder rumbled like bowling balls hitting the pins. We stayed out way past our bed time, enjoying it.

We loved thunderstorms when we lived in New York, but we didn't appreciate them the way we do now. They're rare here; in New York, they are as common as dirt.

Funny how much more important that makes taking the time to enjoy it.