Just Sayin'

Sucky blogger

2012-01-23T07:37:00.000-08:00

I just realized why I'm a sucky blogger. I'm ADHD when it comes to interests. I don't have a single focused cause or hobby. I'm all over the place.

Some days I'm interested in conspiracy theories, other days it's quilting. I have enough beads to start a bead store but I'm not making jewelry right now.

Right now, I'm just hanging out and enjoying life.

Butterfly Language

2011-12-09T08:30:00.001-08:00

Things I am sick to death of...

2011-07-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

I've been here over a half of a century. That is plenty of time to just get sick of some things. The older I get the crankier I get. I may be turning into Maxine. I'm am sick, I tell you, sick of the following:

Rheumatoid Arthritis commercials that tout some miracle drug.

People who tell me all about their problems but never listen to me.

Fish/Seafood- I don't like fish. I've never liked fish. I don't want to taste your fish recipe. I don't care how yummy you think it is. Yuck.

Dieting - I've lost the same 30 pounds about 10 times. I'm sick of dieting. I want to eat ice cream and not feel guilty.

Fresh college graduates who think they are all that and a bag of chips. I remember feeling that way and then feeling sort of stupid when I found out what I didn't know.

High heels and hose. Never wearing them again. Hose seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth. So now women are supposed to have perfect legs without hose? No spider veins, all tanned and toned. So women are supposed to wear those 5" heels on their bare foot? Madness I say, madness.

Wordle of my Just Sayin' posts

2011-03-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Publish Post

Lent - a different perspective

2011-03-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

Instead of deprivation being the focus during Lent, I think the focus should be on getting rid of unnecessary and unhealthy things. A few years back I gave up dread for Lent. I focused on just taking life as it came. I realized that by dreading something I was really suffering twice -- suffering by dreading something and suffering when the dreaded thing came about. That's just dumb.

This year I'm giving up Puritan Work Ethic. I grew up in Kansas on a farm. There was always work to be done. It was considered virtuous to alway be working. The catchphrase "Idle hands are the devil's workshop" is practically embossed on my psyche. The corollary to work is guilt and shame. If you aren't working, or if you aren't working up to your potential, you *should* feel guilty and ashamed and repent. Repenting of course means working even harder. Very little joy with the Puritan Work Ethic.

The older I get the more I think maybe that's not right. Perhaps being idle is a good and redemptive activity. Just sitting in the yard watching the clouds and trees. Just lolling around on the couch reading a good book or napping with the cat. I'm going to try to do nothing and not feel guilty about it. Now that's a Lenten challenge!

Truth

2011-02-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

I know these things to be true…

Naps are not a waste of time.

There is great need for a sarcasm font.

Fitted sheets cannot be folded. Just wad them up.

It was not necessary to learn cursive.

Typing is not just for secretaries.

Bad decisions make good stories.

Ignorance is temporary but stupid is permanent.

One-size-fits-all is now one-size-fits-most and it still isn’t true.

Part of my best friend's job is to immediately clear my computer’s history when I die.

Another part of my best friend’s job is to visit me in the hospital and get rid of my chin hairs if I’m incapacitated.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

There is a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

The fact that the mouthwash and shampoo bottle look alike is a test of social Darwinism.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

The Christmas holidays are not necessarily “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

Google Maps, MapQuest, Garmin etc. need an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

There is a fine, fine line between boredom and hunger.

The best way to avoid an argument with someone who is saying something stupid is to smile and nod. Then get away as fast as you can.

That moron cutting in and out of traffic thinks he’s a fabulous driver and doesn’t know the rest of us are getting out of his way.

Fontenot 2010 in Review

2010-12-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

Fontenot 2010 in Review

Click on the link to see an Animoto movie of my year.

You Might Be a Little Old Lady If...

2010-11-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

I work with someone I considered a "little old lady." Then I found out that I was older than her. Three years older than her. OMG. It was an earth shattering moment. Could I be a "little old lady" and not know it? I googled "little old lady." You know what comes up? Song lyrics from the Beach Boys - "Little Old Lady from Pasadena." This is not helpful. So I started thinking, "What is the definition of 'little old lady'?" What characteristics would label one a "little old lady?"

You might be a little old lady if you...

call butter Oleo
call your purse a pocketbook
reuse paper plates
reuse Ziplock bags
put food in your pocketbook at restaurants "for later"
have a Kleenex tucked into your sleeve
write checks to buy groceries
have waitresses read the menu to you so you don't have to put on your glasses
have a coin purse so you will always be ready to pay with the correct change
have people call you to tell you they sent you an email
know all the words to every Perry Como song
own and wear themed holiday sweaters
save pickle jars "just in case"
have a cough drop, a Kleenex and a Vicodin in your pocket
smell vaguely of Vick's Vaporub, Ben Gay, and Purell
have driven for ten miles with your turn signal on because your turn is "coming up"
go to the beauty parlor once a week for a wash and set

Since in this scenario, I control the parameters, I am not a "little old lady." Is there a parallel category where I can be as old as a "little old lady" but still not be one? I volunteer for the mission to go find out.

(Cue "Star Trek" music)

Aging but remaining cool: the final frontier. These are the voyages of BeadQueen . Her continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Get us out of here, Mr. Sulu.

Hairography

2010-10-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

Hair is an ongoing issue. My hair is too curly to be straight and to straight to be curly. I did the whole '80s thing with the perms and hair dye. I've had spiral perms, highlights, lowlights, straightening conditioners and basically I am over it.

I quit perming and dying my hair ten or so years ago. Now I'm about 25% grey. I call it natural silver sparkle highlights. I'm not good friends with the flat iron straightener either. I burned my ear, forehead, and toe. I dropped it, okay?

Perhaps I shouldn't have chosen to live in a city with 90% humidity 90% of the year if I wanted obedient hair. So if you see me today, don't judge me by my hair. It is having a bad day.

Grateful for the fur babies

2010-08-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

We adopted a new fur baby this weekend and she has brought us great joy already. She is a rescue dog.

I am a strong supporter of adopting rescue animals and not supporting puppy mills. She is probably a Shih Zhu, don't know if she is purebred or not and could not care less.

She loves me unconditionally and is excited to see me every time. I say her name "Zoey" and her tail wags and her whole body shakes and she comes running. I am lucky that she found me.

Grateful to be an American

2010-07-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

Unlike Michelle Obama, I've always been proud to be an American citizen. I love the freedoms we enjoy as citizens. I can say what I think, pray the way I wish, own a gun or not, buy and sell property, work at any job I'm qualified for. Too many blessings to list. We live in the land of opportunity and I'm darned proud to be an American.

I'm very sad that our federal government won't perform it's most basic function -- protection of its citizens from foreign invasion. So, when Arizona wanted to do what the feds refuse to do, the court gutted the law. Bring back our troops from Afghanistan and protect our border. I don't understand what we are doing in Afghanistan. I don't understand we care why North Korea and South Korea hate each other. I think we need to take care of business at home.

More things to be Grateful for

2010-07-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

1. Healthcare insurance, good doctors, and medicines that help.
2. Washing machines and dryers. Imagine washing clothes outside over a fire. OMG
3. Reliable transportation with a kick-ass air conditioner.
4. That I don't have dentures.

Continued Gratitude

2010-07-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

I want to add these to the gratitude list:
1. Bubble baths - I love to bubble in the evening while reading trashy magazines. Very relaxing.

2. Egyptian cotton sheets - They are just so soft and comfy.

3. Anipals - Pets have enhanced my whole life. Currently I only have one cat but I have loved many animals and they have loved me back.

4. Social Media - I have enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones.

Gratitude

2010-07-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about gratitude lately. I am thankful for a lot of big things but there are some really small things that make a huge difference in the quality of my life. Here's a work-in-progress list of what I am thankful for:

1. Air Conditioning - seriously, the South would still be agrarian without it

2. Running water - imagine going down to a creek with a bucket.

3. Indoor plumbing - real fixtures not holes in the floor

4. Glasses - without my glasses I would be disabled.

5. Lycra - clothes fit better, last longer and don't have to be ironed.

6. Caller ID - I think that's self-explanatory.

7. Internet - all the answers to all the questions at my fingertips.

8. Diet Coke with Lime - I know I should give it up but it tastes so good.

No Child Left Behind

2010-03-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

The idea behind No Child Left Behind is noble - all children will be given equal opportunity to an education. NCLB is standards-based education reform,based on the belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. On paper, that's great. Standing in front of 25 8th graders it is not so clear.

Let me explain. In this 8th grade class of 25, there are 3 twelve-year-olds, 10 thirteen-year-olds, 9 fourteen-year-olds, and three fifteen-year-olds. How is the possible? Well, three started school early, sixteen are right on schedule, and six have failed a grade. Some more than once.

The reading level ranges from 2nd grade to post-graduate school. The textbook is written on an 8th grade level - that leaves more than half the class unable to read it. Guess how middle school students act given a reading assignment and they can't read?

Do teachers want to leave children behind? No, absolutely not. Teachers would love to say that students see the value of getting an education and they see education as the key to a better future. But, for the majority of students, the only value they see in school is free food and a place to socialize with their friends.

Do children want to be left behind? That's not as clear. Maybe not left behind but they'd love to be left alone. Long term planning to middle schoolers is what's going to happen in the next 10 minutes. What's the solution? The stock answer is it is the teacher's job to motivate the students to understand the value of an education.

What are teachers actually supposed to do in the classroom tomorrow to make that happen - I don't have a clue. However, if I figure it out I'm going become a consultant and charge school districts a gadzillion dollars to tell them.

Why the FTC is to blame that my chin is red

2010-03-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

Back in 1984, the FTC deregulated how long a commercial could be. Ergo, the birth of the infomercial. I seem to be a sucker for infomercials. The idea may be completely stupid. Who needs a pocket fishing pole? Who needs a knife that can cut cans? But after I watch 19 or so minutes of the infomercial, I start thinking how nice it would be to have insert-name-of-whatever-product-is-being-hawked-here.

Anyway, there is a product called "Smooth Away." It will get rid of pesky hair without a razor, wax, or laser treatments. Now there is something I can use to get rid of the hair on my chinny-chin-chin. And, it's two-for-one. And, there's a free gift.

You know I bought it. In fact I bought two. So I tried it on my chin hair. The hair did come off but so did some of my skin. Basically it's sandpaper and it worked by sanding off a few layers of skin along with the hair. So, it DID do what it said - ie remove the hair. So what if my chin looks like carpet burn.

Just Sayin'

2009-12-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

No worries

2009-09-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

When I feel stressed and worried I have to remind myself, "I am not the general manager of the universe." I am only responsible for me. And as for me, I just happy to keep breathing.

Zibbet

2009-09-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

I closed my etsy shop. I had it open for a little less than a year but only sold three items. I admit that I haven't promoted it as much as I should. Most of my sales have been face-to-face or through the art gallery in Florida.

So, before I gave up on online sales, I'm trying Zibbet. I found out that I could list 25 items with zibbet with NO UP FRONT FEE. I love that.

So I've moved to a different address. You can find me at http://www.zibbet.com/beadqueen. Are you an artisan? Check out Zibbet. Tell 'em BeadQueen sent ya.

The summer of my content...

2009-08-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to accomplish a literary reference to Shakespeare's "The winter of my discontent." This is the summer of my contentment. I haven't really done much of anything. I didn't take the pictures of my jewelry and put them on my etsy website. Why? It's too hot outside.

I've been staying up late and sleeping in until nine. Why? Because I can. Sometimes I don't even leave the house. Why? Because I don't have too. For the first time since I married and had children, I wasn't responsible and productive. I was unfocused and lazy, and it's been great.

The time is almost over. My baby comes back from college this week and the following week I go back to school so my summer's almost over. But what a summer it has been.

Why I'm Not Getting Anything Done This Summer

2009-06-25T08:20:00.001-07:00

The reason that I'm not accomplishing anything this summer is FarmTown on Facebook. I'm a little bit addicted. I've been planting two crops a day in order to make coins to buy a house and pond.

Last night, I got the pond. Now I want a stone gate and a river.

It's better than real farming--no droughts, no hail storms, no fertilizer bills, no insect infestations.

In School Suspension

2009-05-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

In School Suspension (ISS) is Christmas-come-early to beleagured teachers. Students are assigned to ISS when they have been particularily naughty - like fights, death threats, porn etc. Often, these same students are the ones that make a teacher's job, well, hell.

This is the student that won't sit down, won't shut up, won't turn in any work, and probably won't go to the next grade without summer school.

Teachers get notification when students are assigned to ISS and teachers send seat work to be completed while the student serves his/her sentence in ISS. These ISS notifications are often received with the same glee as a winning lottery ticket.

Swine Flu Mania

2009-05-05T07:32:00.001-07:00

2009-04-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

Gotta Love Middle School

2009-04-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

Photography

2009-03-18T07:20:00.001-07:00

Photography. If one is going to have an online store, someone has to take pictures. Since I work alone that someone is me. I tried something different. I hauled everything outside on a sunny day. It's not really hard to find a sunny day in Texas. I think the pics came out better. I think I'll try closer to noon so the sun will be directly overhead next time.

Daylight Saving Time

2009-03-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, whose crazy idea is this anyway? I know, I know. It is Congress's idea to save energy. I have to get up an hour earlier and go to school in the dark. Why? To save energy? I'm not feeling it. At least now most of the clocks in our house set themselves. My Palm Pilot turned itself on at 2am to let me know that it's springing forward! Yippee, didn't want to sleep through that one. No blinking clock on the VCR anymore. Actually no VCR anymore. Pretty soon their will be no DVD player either. All streaming video. Oops, I digressed. See, I need more sleep!

No Child Left Behind

2009-03-03T12:31:00.000-08:00

As a former classroom teacher, I'm pretty offended that a politician would intimate that I might want to leave a child behind. I want every student to be successful. I want them to be able to read and write and respect the U.S. I want them to be employable with skills and work ethic that gains them a job they are proud of and satisfied with.

What happens then when the child doesn't see the need in moving ahead? For this child, school is just a place to go and hang out with friends. I've met a bunch of them in my 10 years in the school system. As a teacher, parent, and taxpayer, it makes me mad. This child is being handed a free and appropriate education and he refuses to receive it. In fact, he is preventing or hindering others from receiving their free education too because he is such a classroom distraction that the teacher has to spend an inordinate amount of time just keeping control of the classroom.

Published Comic

2009-02-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

I was wasting time out the the world of the wide web and I happened across a comic strip generator.

Special Education - Is the Cost Too Much?

2009-02-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

I know that public schools are supposed to be providing a "free and appropriate" education for every child in the "least restrictive envirnoment." At least that's what the law says.

I've got to believe that lawmakers would yell out "Whoa, Nellie" if they were to really get down in the trenches and see the consequences of the law. Should education money be spent on changing diapers on 15 year olds and monitoring feeding tubes? I went in a special ed classroom the other day and there were two teachers and a paraeducator for one student - and he was on the floor taking a nap.

When anyone mentions the exorbitant cost of special ed the response is "Well, it's federally mandated." Like the federal government is getting their money from some other source that our pockets. That's our money, taxpayer money, just like state funding.

Special education parents and other stakeholders have powerful lobbys pushing for more and more special education requirements. Who is out there lobbying for the regular ed kids?

Gotta love it...

2009-02-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

Snapp-caps are the coolest. I snap one on top of my Diet Coke (with lime) and I'm good to go. My son says it looks like a binky or a sippy cup but I just ignore that. Besides, I embrace the inner dork.

I think it's an everyday miracle. Drink doesn't go flat, doesn't spill when I knock it over, and I can always tell my can apart from the crowd.

I bought mine at a street fair in Kingwood Texas but I'm sure there are other sources.

Highly recommend it. Maybe I could be their spokesmodel...Hmmm

Cursive Handwriting becoming Extinct?

2009-01-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

When I was in elementary school in the mid 1960s, there were no computers, no calculators, and typewriters were only in the office. Teachers wrote on the blackboard with white chalk and they wrote in cursive.

We were expected to be able to write and read cursive. Not only that, we were all expected to write exactly the same way. We held our pencils exactly the same way, we formed the letters the same way, the letters were all uniform in size.

We had penmanship lessons. First we traced the letters, then we created our own. If ours didn't look exactly like the example, we did it again. We got a grade for how well we were able to conform to the penmanship expectation.

When did all this stop? Students hold pencils any way they want. Letters are all different sizes and are formed any which way. There is no uniform capitalization or spacing. In short, its a mess.

An unintended result of never really learning how to write cursive is that students never really learn to read cursive. Cursive is becoming extinct.

I want Modifications too!

2009-01-20T10:55:00.000-08:00

Students are entitled to the least restrictive environment. As a middle-school teacher, I think I’m entitled to the same. I want, for me, the least restrictive environment in my classroom. In order to achieve the least restrictive environment for students, the government mandates modifications to help that student achieve a maximum educational experience. Well, I want some modifications too.

1. Limited distracters—No student can have more than two modifications.

2. Extended time—The due date for all grades and paperwork can be extended up to two weeks.

3. Assignment books—Students and parents are responsible for assignment books. The teacher is not responsible to do a darn thing related to the student’s assignment books.

4. Required substitution—Before any parent can comment on anything that happens in any classroom, the parent is required to substitute teach in that classroom for a week.

5. Positive reinforcement—The teacher gets the choice of lots and lots of chocolate, lots and lots of liquor, or time out—you know, time alone to do what ever I darn well please.

6. Preferential seating— Who are we kidding here? Teachers don’t sit down. But we could restrict the type of students that are close to the teacher. For example, no tappers, hummers, snorters, or gas passers are allowed within 25 feet of the teacher.

7. Notetaking assistance—The teacher will not be required to take any notes or remember anything that is not provided to the teacher in writing.

8. Notifications—All parents of students in the teacher’s classroom will be required to attend a long, boring meeting where the teacher’s modifications are explained in excruciating detail to the parents. The parents will be required to make weekly reports as to whether they are complying with the modifications.

9. Limited distracters, redux—The teacher’s classes will be limited to students that actually capable of and are motivated to learn the subject matter. Students who are not motivated will be removed from the class. I don’t care where they are sent, just that they are gone.

10. Behavior modifications—In order to keep the top of the teacher’s head from blowing off, the students are required to modify their behavior.

a. The teacher is not required to say any instruction more than once.

b. The teacher will write the page number on the board and all students will refer to the board and not ask, “What page is it on?”

c. Students are prohibited from exclaiming, “There’s a test today?” when the class has been reviewing for the test for three days prior and the teacher has announced the test for nine consecutive days.

d. Students are prohibited from asking to go to the restroom when they know the teacher never let’s anyone go to the restroom.

Try a puzzle

2009-01-15T09:58:00.001-08:00

2009-01-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

Taking pics of jewelry is hard. It's time consuming. It's not fun. I like making the jewelry. But photographing it is the pits. See these pics? What you don't see is the about 100 other blurry, wasted shots. Thank goodness for digitial cameras!

Shopping...

2009-01-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

I just got back from Wal-Mart. ARGH! I went by myself with a list with 6 things on it.

Then I headed to the garden section because I needed a rake. Our rake was a victim of Hurricane Ike, (Okay, I ran over it with the car but it was right after Ike.) The rakes are outside until all the Christmas stuff is cleared out. So outside I go. There are six types of rakes. OMG. Now I have to figure out what rake is best. An old guy was standing there and he wanted to tell me all about rakes and why the $35 rake was what I needed. I think he was insulted when I bought the $3.99 one.

Then I went all the way across the store to get the rest of the stuff - groceries. Not hard stuff--milk, bread, ice cream, etc. The staples of life. There was a whole family standing in front of the 2% milk blocking all the doors. Two of them were on the phone. They couldn't decide what milk to buy. GET OUT OF MY WAY! How much decision making is there? Buy the cheapest 2%--it's the one that says WIC approved. Duh.

So I worked my way to ice cream. I couldn't get into the ice cream aisle because this chick had it blocked. She had a basket with a head of lettuce and 12 grain bread and she had two doors of the ice cream case open and she was memorizing the Blue Bell labels. I cleared my throat and she didn't move. I said "excuse me" and she still didn't move. Then, as I decided to either ram her basket or turn around, she looked at me with an extremely snotty look and said, "Do you want by?" I said, "Yes." She rolled her eyes and sighed and moved her basket just enough for me to get by.

All of the checkout lanes had lines except the self-check. So I went to self-check. I forgot to bring in my green friendly bags so I had to use their bags. The bags were stuck together so I had to wrestle with the bags. I rang one item up twice and had to wait for the clerk. I almost got hit by a car playing arrhythmia causing rap music in the parking lot. But now I'm home eating ice cream. I'm pretty sure it was worth it.

Twitter

2009-01-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

I now tweet on twitter. I am BeadQueen. I have 10 followers which is pretty cool. I'm following etsy and other etsy sellers. What I've learned is that I have a lot to learn.

I need to work on photography, writing descriptions, and just about everything else. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed and inadequate. A few sales wouldn't hurt.

2008-12-31T09:27:00.001-08:00

Still taking pics. But I'm getting a little faster. Maybe it just takes practice. Check out my setup.

Photography sucks

2008-12-30T11:50:00.001-08:00

I've decided to be an online jewelry seller. To do that, I have to take pictures of my jewelry. That sounds easy? Well, it isn't. At etsy a seller can post up to five pics of each item. OMG, I can't get five pics that are in focus and well-lit. Click on the etsy graphic to see my site. http://queenofbeads.etsy.com

Wordle

2008-12-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

There is a website called Wordle.net. It takes all your words and makes a word cloud of them. You can also make a word cloud of all the words in a blog. So here is the wordle of my blog.

Just because I love it...

2008-09-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-17T08:23:00.001-07:00

Hurricane Ike blew through my hood. We were without power for four days. One would think that I would bead but I was obsessed with listening to 24/7 news radio. The Christmas in September vendor event that I've been preparing for since June was canceled. If it's not rescheduled soon I'll send my inventory to Barefoot Artist Gallery. I need more bead money. LOL The International Gem and Jewelry Show is coming to Houston again in October so I want to be ready to buy more beads. It's amazing how dependent we as a society has become on electricity. I need internet, news, refrigeration and most importantly, air conditioning. We are fortunate that a cool front blew through and the weather is uncharacteristically cool. It's beautiful outside today--cool breeze and bright sunshine. We are blessed.

Bead Show stash

2008-06-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

Stash from the International Gem and Jewelry Show, Houston Texas.

Getting organized

2008-04-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

I was looking for some matte black seed beads. I had all my seed beads in one plastic box. That worked for me when I had like five tubes of beeds. But now, not so much. So a trip to Wal-Mart later I had a seed beed organization system. But, I still didn't find any matte black seed beads so I'll need to make a run to the beed store. What a shame. LOL

Cats and Photography

2008-04-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

I've been using up my bead stash making ankle bracelets and more necklace sets. My first month of sales at Barefoot Artist Gallery were promising. I made more than I spent at the bead show. LOL

This morning I've been photographing some of my new pieces. I'm getting entries ready for a beading contest. Well, photography with cats is a challenge. Princess thinks that the white drape and extra lights are perfect for HER. I mean she is photogenic but sometimes she is NOT the focal point. Try telling her that...

Stash

2008-04-13T17:31:00.001-07:00

Here is a pic of the stash I bought at the Gem and Jewelry Show last weekend. My favorite vendors were the ones with $2 stone strands and the 25 strands for $20 glass strands. I spent this weekend making ankle bracelets and several necklace sets. I'll post pics later. I need a white background.

I'm considering entering a beading contest. More on that later.

Houston Gem and Jewelry Show

2008-04-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

The Houston International Gem and Jewelry Show is this weekend! WOO HOO! It's a beader's paradise. All sorts of beads. All prices. My favorite is the $1 strands. They are usually all piled together by the time I get there so the hunt is part of the fun. I have a list of stuff I need to look for--lobster clasps, itty bitty spacers, bead caps, phone leashes--but the most fun is finding things I'm not actually looking for. The fantastic bargain. The unexpected treasure. It's a rush.

Bead puddle

2008-03-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

At one of the local bead stores, Bella Beads and Beyond, there is a bead puddle. The bead puddle is a container about 8 inches deep and 36 inches in diameter. It's filled with beads and findings. I think the intent of the bead puddle was to entertain kids while their moms shopped. However, it has become therapy for older kids, like me.

There is a certain zen about running your hands through the beads and then selecting the ones that catch your eye. I like to go to the bead puddle with no particular bead or color in mind. Just let the beads select themselves.

I went to the bead puddle yesterday and it was marvelous. I came home and started designing. I'll post some pics soon.

How I started...

2008-03-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Bead collector or jewelry designer? Not a whole lot of difference. LOL. I started beading about three years ago. I needed a sedentary hobby due to rheumatoid arthritis. I first tried drawing but I stunk at that so I moved on to beading.

I started with bracelets. Mostly elastic. Then I learned how to use crimp beads so I moved on to using toggles. After bracelets, I moved on to earrings and finally necklaces.

Here is a slide show of some of my work