It's Over Now | Back to Business

I feel like I can breathe again ... the Christmas holiday season has always been my favourite (with Halloween being a close second) but it is indeed a stressful time of year no matter how hard you try to make it easy-going. Realizing that it's been nearly a whole month since I last posted, I'm trying to think back to what kept me so darn busy. It did however, seem that I was out shopping almost every night even though I had thought I was successful in completing my Christmas shopping early. I had several issues with the gifts I had for a few people I had bought for early, which led to numerous trips to the same stores, countless phone calls to every Home Hardware in the province and an exchange or two due to shotty manufacturing of an expensive item! Anyway, it's all over now and everything turned out very nicely! The highlight for me was watching my parents open the gift I gave to them! I had been wanting to give them this gift for the last three years or so but it just never seemed to work out. I dug out the old video camera from the basement (which has been broken for about 11 years with a half-used tape stuck inside) and I got all of the home videos transferred to DVD's! It was so great to watch old family vacations and birthday parties, forgetting we ever looked the way we did back then! Needless to say the out-of-date video camera is no longer, in order for the tape that was in there to be removed without getting damaged, but it's the memories that were on those tapes that are important! I got some pretty nice gifts as well! I got a Hydroponic Herb Garden in which I was eager to plant the pods on Christmas Day and already I'm seeing sprouts come up! It holds seven "gourmet" herbs including Italian Basil, Purple Basil, Parsley, Thyme, Cilantro, Dill and Chives. It's really neat to see them sprout up without even being in dirt! My sister got me a lovely Lennox Disney Tinkerbell to add to my collection! She sits upon a minty green coloured thread spool and she has beautiful pearlescent wings! She's wearing a crystal necklace too! Keeping with my Disney-themed collection, I got a dish set that displays original black and white sketch images of Mickey Mouse in different positions using different expressions, with artist's notes and such from 1937. It's so unique, yet it doesn't scream out loud DISNEY, it has a more subtle, mature feel to it. Jay, my fiance, got me a beautiful handmade piece that I fell in love with three years ago! It's a hand-carved, hand-blasted and hand-painted piece of glass with a wooden base. It's a beautiful flowing mermaid painted in a Monet-sorta-style using my favourite colours; teal green that fades to celadon, fades to mint green... it's stunning! It has a light behind it so it gives off a nice soft light! He also got me a really nice tri-pod for our new camera! Not only will it make it easier to take photos of my beads, it will help in taking photos outside and in the dark, with a steady surface! Both Jay and I are excited to take up photography as a hobby, snapping interesting scenes while out for a walk or simply taking more photos at home of family and friends!

Perhaps it's because of all the holiday candy and chocolates, turkey dinners and desserts, along with quick fast-food meals while shopping in the malls all month long ... I've been feeling rather "sluggish" lately with very little energy and some days if I had of allowed myself, I would of stayed in bed 'til 1pm! Even with my late nights, going to bed at 2 or 3am, sleeping in past 10:30am bothers me, leaving me with a feeling that I wasted my entire day merely because I didn't get an early start at my day. I don't know. So beginning January 2nd (after one last New Years Day turkey dinner!) Jay and I have decided to do a 30-day detox! It may end up being a 21 day detox, or it may even end up being a 14-day detox, but gawsh'darn it I am going to try my best at it! I'm not setting myself up for failure by thinking I won't succeed, I'm just being realistic ... detox systems are hard to stick to! I'm really looking forward to the fresh, energetic feeling I'm hoping I'll get from it!

Back to business: I want to thank all of you for all of the Christmas custom orders, it is greatly appreciated! Those orders that were not Christmas gifts and for those of you that said it was ok to wait until January, I will be working on your beads again starting tomorrow and hopefully have them all shipped out by the end of the weekend. Thanks for your patience! Also, I'm still working on creating new images for my gallery pages and Etsy so stay tuned for that too!

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season, no matter what and how you chose to celebrate it! I'll be back in the new year with the last FREE Bead Giveaway for voting for my site! Good luck everyone and thanks for chiming in!

'Tis the season to be cheery!

Happy December! I love this time of year... to me, December means it is officially the "Christmas Holiday Season"! I'm even anxious to wrap some of the gifts I've bought already! (and it doesn't help that I seem to have this uncontrollable urge to buy Christmas wrapping paper every time I see it for fear I won't ever see that same design again!) Unlike other years, I didn't just wander around the malls aimlessly with no ideas for anyone. This year, I've been successful in buying something for at least one person every time I've been out shopping, and it feels nice to know that I won't have to trek through ridiculously irritable crowds in a mall that feels more like a sauna, feeling hopeless as I run out of shopping days before Christmas Eve! Aside from shopping, I've also been working on some new things in my studio! My first attempt at this new technique didn't quite work out the way I wanted it to, but I'll try again tomorrow!

Since it's December, it also means that it's time for another bead giveaway for all the voters out there! Congratulations to Loretta V. of Tampa Florida this month! Check out the home page to see what she's won! Thanks again to everyone that votes! Starting January 1st, I will no longer be having a Voting Giveaway Contest. I am finding that the two sites in which you vote on are experiencing technical difficulty more and more each month. It is becoming harder for me to track the votes, therefore the ranking of my site seems to go up and down drastically each and every day. By all means, you may still vote for my site if you wish ;) ... but just please know that December will be the last month for a free bead giveaway. I will be announcing the winner in early January (most likely not Januray 1st, as I will be busy with family on New Years Day). Thank you again to all those that have voted for my site day after day, I truly appreciate it! I'm sure I will have some other kind of free bead contest in the near future, I just have to think of something! haha

Well, I should get to bed so I can have an early start at the torch tomorrow! Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season (I'll be back in a week or two I'm sure but I just wanted to spread some holiday cheer tonight). Thanks for stopping by ...and remember to keep a watch out for some new beads in the gallery and on Etsy soon!

Back to normal.

Well I'm back from my shows and I'm ready to head back into the studio full-force this weekend, getting busy creating some new beads and working on some new designs and a little something else that's new for me as well! I'm still in the experimenting mode, so it'll be a little while before I can debut this new upcoming line of work. The Ottawa show was fantastic and a huge success! Congrats to Grace for organizing such a great show! I am positive that it will be expanding for next year, so look forward to that!

I hope to list some new things in my Etsy shop in the next little while as well. As for site maintenance, I'll be adding new eye-candy to my gallery! Now that things are getting back to normal, I'll be able to start taking custom orders again after this weekend as well. Those of you that are thinking of Christmas presents, you may want to get your orders in soon to ensure delivery before the holiday mayhem begins!

Nothing much else to share tonight. I'll be back again soon, hopefully with those gallery additions as promised! :)

Unbelievable!

Needless to say, my weekend was absolutely amazing!!! Sunday was indeed a dream come true. In fact, I'm going through post-concert depression right now! hahaha It will be a day that I will never forget!

Thanks to my mom and Jay for working my booth for me on the Sunday at the TBS. The show was great. Thanks to all those that came out to visit! The winner of the $25.00 gift certificate is Carol W. of Toronto. Congrats Carol, I'll be emailing you. I'll be pretty busy this week, preparing for my Ottawa show this weekend! If you're in the area, you should check it out!

Gotta cut this short tonight ... lots to do! I'll be back after the Ottawa show. After this weekend, I'm not scheduled for another show until March, so hopefully I'll be able to be present a little more often on here, adding to the gallery and adding more beads on Etsy and whatnot.

Take care.

Slipped Away

Oh my, how the month of October slipped away from me! I apologize for the long silence on here ... I have been really busy! I'm sure those of you who read my blog on a fairly regular basis are anxiously awaiting the ridiculously amazing news that I was hoping I'd be able to share! Well.... I am ecstatic to announce that on November 9th (ok people, don't think I'm silly here...) my dream of meeting my most favourite band of all time is finally after nearly fifteen years, coming true! I will be meeting The Backstreet Boys in Hamilton a week today! As a matter of fact, at this time exactly one week from now, I will be enjoying my second row centre stage concert tickets (still goo-gaa over meeting them backstage at the soundcheck a mere four hours prior I'm sure!) My sister and I have been waiting for this day for a long time and it's finally coming true! The Backstreet Boys are the type of band that people either love or hate, so think of me what you will, but just know that I am sooooo happy!

I will be leaving the Toronto Bead Society show early on Sunday, so if you need to speak with me regarding any custom orders or special requests, the best day to do it is Saturday (I'll be there all day Saturday). I'll be there for a couple of hours Sunday morning but then I'm off to Hamilton! My fiancé Jay and my mom will be holdin' down the fort for me (love you guys! hee hee).

So, wow, the October winner already? Congratulations to Brianne G. of North York, ON! (see the home page for a photo of what you've won!) Thanks again to all those that vote every day all month long! Good luck for the November draw! Well, I better get down to the studio before the night fades away on me (apparently as the entire month of October did). I'll be pretty busy over the next few weeks with preparation for my shows and custom orders that I need to finish. I'll be back to being able to take new custom orders beginning November 24th. Thanks everyone!

Take care, thanks for stopping by.

Pinch me!

Woo hoo! Im'm soooe hpaapy rghit nwo taht I cnat evnen tyepe todya!!!! ... see post below. I've found out that I'm one step closer to having my dream come true! Next Tuesday will be the end all and be all of whether or not it will happen for sure! Keep your fingers crossed for me PLEASE!!! But, needless to say, I'm in a great mood!!!! In fact, I'm in such a great mood today that I've decided to give away free beads to three lucky people this month instead of one! To celebrate the beautiful October harvest, each of you have won a set of three "autumn gourd" beads! ...So, uh, I guess I should announce the three lucky ladies!

Congratulations to: Brandi L. of Scarborough, ON.
Janie W. of Orlando FL.
and Lucie R. of Sherbooke, QB!

Thanks again everyone for voting all month long and good luck for the October draw! Gotta run... I have to package up some orders and get to the post office. I'll be back again soon! Thanks for stopping by!

Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon

I found out that tomorrow is the day I find out if my dreams can come true! I'm feeling rather anxious, excited and edgy all at the same time. It is something that I have wanted and dreamed about for many years and to have it feel so close yet so far, so soon ... it's all I can think about right now! It may seem silly to some, but for those that have ever had a similar dream finally become attainable...

"I've been walking around inside a haze, between the lines of reason ...feels like I'm barely breathing."

Some of you may know what I'm talking about, some of you may not. Either way, root for it to happen for me! hee hee

On the beady side of things; I've listed a few new beads on Etsy (including some really cute itty-bitty bones!) So I hope you'll check em' out! I'm almost done adding another full page of gallery photos on my website so check back soon for that update! Lastly, if you live in the Toronto area and are familiar with beadFX, you can expect to see a whole bunch of new beads in the store in the next week! I mailed off a big ol' box o' new beads today so beadFX should receive it and have them out on display by the end of the week. Some of the beads are the last of what I have left in a particular design so you won't be able to find them available for sale at my shows in the near future. Bonus: beadFX is having a great sale on almost everything in the store up until October 5th, so hurry in!

I don't have much else to blab about today. I DO have a couple loads of laundry to do though. I guess I should get on that. :( I'll be back again in a day or two... hopefully so ecstatic and delirious I've lost all control and my ability to type!

Piccadilly Pods & Dirty Martini's

Just a quick note to let you all know that I just listed some new beads on Etsy! They're fun and funky and I hope you'll check 'em out! They're the first of I don't know how many, but I do know that I'll be listing more items in my shop when I have a bit more time.., right now I'm on my way out to dinner. Over the next little while while I ponder over how to recreate my blog on it's own site right here, I'll be posting updates on both this blog and the one on my website.

I'm liking this blogspot this so far. I've been playing around with some of the features... adding gadgets and photos and links, oh my! I just wish I could somehow transfer over all my past blog entires from my website and archive them all here accordingly (anyone? Bueller? anyone?) Post a comment if you please?!

I'm starving so I gotta run... so consider this your fair warning: awesome beads coming soon to an Etsy shop near you!

Ciao for now.

I can't decide...

Hey everyone,
I've been noticing that a lot of people have this really cool "blogspot" thing going on these days. I'm thinking about starting to post my blogging babble here instead of directly on my website. Don't worry, I will still have the "blog" section on my site, but it will link here. What do you think?

The cool things about having a blogspot:
1. People can post comments directly pertaining to each post.
2. The entries are archived in such a way that you can easily go back to read older posts.
3. People can subscribe to my blog directly.

The uncool things about having a blogspot:
1. I dunno, perhaps you guys can comment and let me know! Do you like it here? Do you prefer it be directly on my site as before?

I can't decide...