Hi hi!! It's been a while since I've made the time to write. I've been creating and trying to book as many shows as I possibly can. Tonight is not about jewelry, shows, or other stuff. Today it's all about keeping warm! We live in a house that was built in the 1940's. It's drafty and cold on nights like this. We usually don't run the gas heater. Normally we run a small electric heaters in the rooms we are occupying at the time, instead of trying to heat the entire house. My 4-legged child... The Chiiq... has had trouble keeping warm. She's worn a sweater and a t-shirt for a few days last week. Yes, my dog dresses in layers when it's cold. Saturday was humid and muggy so we let her run around nekkid! But when we got home from a show on Sunday, grandma had put her in a sweater again.

As the temperatures took a dip tonight, she started to shiver. I was sitting at my desk and thought I'd sit her on my lap, something she's not used to doing.

 So, we put her inside my hoodie instead.

*say Hi Chiiq!*

She must have found warmth... 'cause she's been in my jacket for almost an hour and I haven't the heart to make her leave.

The Chiiq and I hope you all find your warm and cozy spot! =)

Forget me not.

Wikipedia Photo by Bernhard Kohl 

My original plan was to sleep through today. The neighbor's contractor had other plans for me. The sound of hammers and the jarring sounds of 2x4's being dropped  was the first noises I heard this morning. I walked into the kitchen and hubby was watching the "replay" of that horrible morning's events. So, since it seems I can't escape it.... I will write.

We all remember where we were and what we did that day. I remember being home alone. My husband left for work at 6am, I'd finished cleaning up after breakfast and had just sat down with my tea to watch the Today Show. I remember flipping channels and seeing a report on another station about a small aircraft hitting one of the Twin Towers. The nauseated feeling in the pit of my stomach began as I changed the channel back to see if the Today Show had any more information. Then moments later, it happened again.... then once more in Pennsylvania. I remember a lot of things from that day, like the silence in the air. I'm not just talking about the lack of aircraft. Even the birds were silent that day.. it was eerie. There are a lot of things I wish I could forget... like watching people leap out of buildings and watching the world we knew come to an end.

One memory in particular stands out from that day. I remember an Ernst and Young Associate that I'd spoken to while working as a Corporate Travel Agent for American Express a couple of years prior to the attacks. The day we spoke the fire alarms went off in my building. When he asked what the noise in the back ground was, I answered "it's just the fire alarm.. it's no big deal" and explained that it had been the third one that day. Unfortunately, fire alarms and bomb threats were an almost weekly occurrence for us, we had a "prankster" in the building. Many in the building had become complacent about leaving when the alarms went off.. me included. He became really upset with me and asked which floor I was on. When I said it was the 9th floor, he scolded me for staying. He insisted I take his phone number, and leave the building immediately. I did as he asked and got down to the lobby, only to be told to return to my desk... it was another false alarm. When I called him back he informed me that he was based at the World Trade Center and  had been in the building during the previous attempt on the WTC in 1993. He said I should never take those alarms for granted and made me promise to leave the building when they went off again. I never heard from him after that day. I left that job in 1999.

On September 11th, 2001... I remembered him. He was the first person that came to mind. I prayed for him. I wondered if he was in the building and hoped he made it out. I'm embarrassed to say, I don't remember his name. But I do remember his voice and his advice... "get out of the building"... and hope that he did.  

The Midnight Ramblings of an Insomniac.

Here goes another night with little to no sleep. I'm beginning to wonder what's going on. Have I reset my internal clock? or is there something really wrong with me? (don't answer that) I am even beginning to envy the Chiiq. The Chiiq is our 4yr old Shih'Tzu. If sleeping were a sport... she'd be an Olympic level competitor. She can sleep any time, any place and in any position. She sleeps on her back, on my back, on her side, and has even been known to cover her head with what ever article of clothing has fallen out of the laundry basket to block out the light. At the moment she is asleep in my work room, blissfully unaware of my insomnia. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps. I do love it when she starts to dream. Her little paws start wiggling and she makes the funniest little noise. It sounds like "bwooop, bwooop, bwooop" and it makes me giggle everytime she does it. This year she started howling in her sleep and she always wakes up startled afterwards. Then she falls asleep immediately after. If only I could accomplish the same thing. The lack of sleep is beginning to affect my memory, ability to focus and I keep feeling like I'm coming down with a cold. A few nights ago I tried beading until I got sleepy. The only thing I accomplished was to drop more beads than I strung. At that point I thought I was ready to sleep... no such luck there. Earlier today I almost fell out of a chair in the kitchen. I started to doze off while eating a sandwich. So, I went to bed and then couldn't sleep. This evening, out of desperation, I took a sleeping pill. As you can see, it isn't working. I slept soundly for 2hours and now my mind is racing once more. It is now 1:20am and here I am rambling like an idiot. To top it all off, my eyelid is twitching again!! This has  been going on for about a week or more. Apparently it is a result of eyestrain, lack of sleep, stress, and too much caffeine. And guess what... all four of those apply to me. Yes, I know I need to cut out the caffeine, but that's the only way I can stay awake during the day. Most nights I wait until my eyes are tearing from the constant yawning. But then, I get into bed and I am wide awake. The car seems to be the only place I can sleep. Something about the hum of the motor and the a/c that just knocks me out. No worries, hubby is always the one driving. I'm thinking that perhaps we need a long road trip so I can get a decent "night's" sleep. But, that's not gonna happen. Today, I even considered laying on the floor next to my monster, to see if I might get some rest too. It didn't work. It's now almost 2am and my eyelids are starting to get heavy and I feel myself tipping out of my chair once more. Perhaps it's time to try again. Hopefully my body will decide it's had enough and will demand rest soon. If not, then this will be my days and nights.. wide awake and half asleep.

Summer Update...

It's H.O.T... HOT!! I can't remember the last time it wasn't over 100*. And let's just say.. the rain has been non-existent. The drought has been horrendous... with the exception of a couple of cloud bursts that missed 90% of the city. I'm sooo looking forward to winter. The good news is.. we finally got air conditioning in our vehicle. Thanks to my brother-in-law Mike and my husband (refusing to accept the mechanic's estimate for the repair of said A/C unit), I can now go places without risk of a heat stroke. =)

I'm still up to my neck in beads... not complaining... there are worse things to be up to your neck in. Slowly but surely we are getting  back to a more normal existence and doing shows on a more regular basis. The downtime we had over the last few months gave me a chance to try to get my workroom organized. It's a continual work in progress, because as we all know... I bead like the Tazmanian Devil. I've also gotten to work on some custom pieces for friends and family. My older sister bought some gorgeous beads in New Mexico.

... and this is what I made for her.

I've also spent some time "getting hammered".

I purchased a slightly used PMC Hot Pot. I can't wait to put it to use!

... but best of all I got to spend time with family! (hubby is a little camera shy so he's the one shooting the pic.)

Hope your summer has gone well... and that you've managed to stay cool!

;)

Obsessed with Opalite...

Yes, it's true. I have to have it. And, it isn't even, technically, a stone. Opalite is actually... glass. Regardless of what it is... how can you resist it's beauty? These beads are cool to the touch and look like encapsulated water. These dreamy little orbs are irresistible. I can't get enough of it! Do I care what color, shape or size bead I can get? ... not really. Can you honestly blame me... look at it. It's gooorgeous!

 

You know you want it too.
;)

It's not your mama's recipe.

I'm blogging about food today. Because, to be quite honest, I can't think of anything else. I've had a creative block of sorts for a while. My brain has been preoccupied with food lately. Hubby is still recovering from surgery and we are both learning a "new" way of eating. Primarily it means no starches, pastas, sugars, caffeine and fried foods are a definite no no. It's been quite a challenge in the kitchen as it's eliminated a lot of ingredients from my recipes. I should also tell you that I've been a vegetarian for almost 15yrs now.  But, don't be fooled.. I'm not a skinny mini. I'm a girl with curves. Cooking is one of the things I do really well.... even when I cook for the carnivores (aka.. the rest of the family!) You see... I'm the lone vegetarian in the family. This means that unless I want to be a short order cook, I must make something that everyone likes. Picadillo is that dish. Usually you'll find Picadillo in Mexican restaurants and it consists of nothing more than ground beef, diced potatoes, a little garlic and salt. It's nothing fancy... and once you've tasted one... you've pretty much tasted them all. This recipe is a bit of a spin off of my mom's recipe. Hers consisted of ground beef, garlic, carrots, peas, onions corn and.. of course.. potatoes. My version is a little lighter on the starches and it's vegetarian friendly.

First you'll need to dice ... 1 large carrot, 1/2 a medium onion, 1 stick of celery and 1/2 a bell pepper. While you are dicing your veggies preheat a 2quart stock pot with 2 Tbsp of cooking oil (your choice). Toss in the veggies once the pot is screaming hot. Stir fry them until the onions are translucent. I like to caramelize the vegetables for added flavor.

Once you've got the veggies going... add in one bag of Morning Star Farms Veggie Crumbles and approximately 1tsp of Paprika.

Add one can of Tomato Soup (or 1/2 a small can of tomato paste), following the soup recipe on the label. If you want a thicker consistency to your soup just use less water than the recipe on the can indicates.

I also add 1Tsp of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base for richer flavor and color. This is the ingredient that you don't want to leave out. It will make all the difference in taste of the soup.

  

The last ingredient to go into the pot is 1 large Tatuma Squash or Zucchini that has been sliced into 1/4" rounds then quartered. Squash is really easy to overcook so I always add it last.

Simmer the entire mix on medium heat for about 10min or until the squash is fork tender, then salt to taste.

It really tastes as good as it looks.. and I really hope you like it! This soup is easily adaptable and goes well with most vegetables. I've used  green beans, asparagus, potatoes, fresh tomato and even a couple of slices of pickled jalapenos for an added kick.  For the die hard carnivores in your family... just swap out the Veggie Crumbles for 1lb of cooked ground beef or pork. But truthfully... if you don't tell them it's vegetarian... they probably won't notice!! ;)

The not so little things...

As I'm sure you've noticed, I haven't exactly been around much. Things have been a little crazy, to say the least. My husband finally got the gastric bypass he had been preparing for during the last 6mos. It went well, or so it seemed. About 2wks after surgery, he developed a complication that happens in about 10-15% of patients. It resulted in severe dehydration, an ambulance ride, a 7day hospitalization and a G-tube that he will have for another couple of months. (I came frighteningly close to losing him that day.) Then, less than a week later we had a little scare that resulted in regular nurses visits to our home for another small complication. I've spent the last few months as a fulltime caregiver and all of the beady stuff has been on hold.

Hopefully, the worst has passed us now. Slowly but surely we are returning to a more normal existence and a better life.

I love spring in Texas!!

flower hydrant, originally uploaded by Beadcharmer.

It's that time of year where it's all about the wildflowers. ;)

Love at Bass Pro Shops....

First of all let me start by saying... I love my hubby! But, there are some places that wives are "invited" to that are truly all about the boys. Bass Pro Shops is one of those places. I know that there are women who love to hunt and fish, and they are all about the great outdoors. Then there are the ones I observed during our little excursion. They looked like zombies, following their husbands around the store like the dutiful wives I am sure we all are. That's when it hit me!! I didn't want to be a zombie!! I am creative, and my world can be what I want it to be!! So, I decided to "go fishin'". We were after all, in the right place to fish for inspiration.

So I did. I wandered around and looked at things, not for what they were, but for what I knew they could be. I found lots of stuff. There were beads used for tackle and lures, Fireline, tackle boxes, split rings and more. Then I saw them....

Spool caddies!!! I've been needing something like this to keep my wires neat while I work and like manna from heaven they appeared. They fit multiple spools in individual recesses and to keep the smaller ones from bouncing around you can insert a dowel to keep your wires from getting crossed.

But nobody tell my husband that the only reason I really came to Bass Pro Shop.... is because there is a really cool bead shop around the corner !! It will be our little secret. (sorry honey!)

So ladies, next time your husband "invites" you to "Testosterone Central"... by all means...GO!!. You might be surprised at what you will find.

I not only found inspiration, I found something that will make my work space a little tidier.

;)

Let there be light!

My grandfather always said... "Lo que no se ve, no se vende!"... translated it literally means... "What cannot be seen, is not sold!" I am a firm believer in that saying. Which is why, I can't believe I didn't properly light my table at craft shows until this year. If you've ever been to a convention or gift show you know the lights I'm talking about. Usually they are high wattage halogen lamps that put out tremendous amounts of light as well as heat. They make everything look ever so lovely and make merchandise all that more irresistible. They are also pretty pricey, part of the reason I hadn't made the investment.

If you recall a few posts ago I told the story of "The Adventures of Sybil and Super-geek", well it was on that trip that I learned the secret to inexpensive lighting and all it took was a trip to the Casa Depot and the not so sneaky appropriation of some clamps from my hubby's toolbox!! This was all well within my budget!! I had less than $50.oo to spend and 1day to get this accomplished with the help of my hubby of course 'cause this Chica has a healthy respect for power tools!

You will need the following....

1. 2 1"x10' electrical conduit pipe

2. 4 1" set-screw couplers

3. 4 1" conduit hangers

4. 4 150watt Aluminum Incandescent Clamp Lights

5. 4 100watt (output) Daylight/Full Spectrum CFL bulbs

6. 4 4"x 4" C-clamps  (raided these from hubby's tool box)

7. 8 bolts and wing nuts

8. 4 household extension cords (you probably have a few extra around the house too)

9. 1 power strip/surge protector (we had several so I appropriated one for my show kit)

10. 1 25' heavy duty extension cord

The first task you can complete in the hardware store. We had the 10ft conduit cut down to 5ft lengths so they would fit in the trunk of our compact car. If you get a super accommodating sales associate you might be able to get them to cut each pipe into 2.5ft lengths for you too. If not, make sure you have an appropriate saw for cutting pipes at home and while you are at it, make sure the drill is fully charged. Once you are home with all the goodies break out the drill and appropriate bits for drilling holes into the pipe and c-clamps. This will take a bit of muscle. So girls, if you have a handy hubby, or a helpful he-man around, now is the time to bat your eyelashes and get them involved. Drill two holes into each of the c-clamps. Then position the clamps onto the conduit and mark the pipes with a sharpie through the holes you just drilled. This will assure that each c-clamp's holes will line up to a corresponding pipe. You will need to drill straight through each pipe so that you can secure the clamp with the bolts and wing nuts. We assembled each of these as we went along, as to not end up with mismatched clamps and pipes.

 You will also need to drill corresponding holes for the couplers and pipe assembly, match those up the same way you did the pipe and clamp fittings.

Now that you have the most difficult part of your Ghetto Lighting done you can begin to assemble your lamps for a test run. Fasten the c-clamp on to a table (preferably a wooden table), make sure that if you are using your dining room table or something similar, make sure to protect it from getting marred by the clamps. Also, threading the power cords through the c-clamps will keep them off the floor and your under table storage neat.

Once this is done, attach the conduit hangers to the tops of each of the second piece of pipe (see above). This will secure your lamp and keep it from swiveling. Before assembling the two sections of conduit, add the light bulb to your clip lamp and run the electrical cord through the conduit hanger in order to keep it clear of the lamp's reflector.

Okay! You are now ready to connect your lamp to a power source!! (This is where the extension cords and power strip come in handy. ;D )

Your Ghetto Trade show Lamps should look a lot like this once installed in your booth!!....

 

What I like almost as much as the way they make my booth shine... is that they pack up really easily!



So for less than $50.oo I got four trade show lamps. They're not fancy, but they do the job. ;)

K.I.S.S.

My muse has been missing as of late. There has been a lot going on in our lives. My husband is preparing for a gastric bypass, and by default.. so have I. My husband's 27yr old son is currently receiving treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston,TX and we've traveled to be with him through this (positive thoughts for them will be greatly appreciated). And perhaps I am guilty of wanting to do to much and doing nothing as a result. Goodness knows the lack of inspiration is not due to a lack of materials to work with. I've been giving in to distraction and procrastination, and that has to stop. I think a return to simplicity is need right about now.


So.... here we go....





;)

Who Knew??

I can honestly say... I didn't!! But, on a recent trip home from Houston, via Greyhound... I found out! Turns out jewelry tools are considered "weapons"... even though they didn't know what some of them were, like my reamer. I had to open the case and show them what the contents were. Yes, that's right. Even my L.E.D lit Loupe was inspected. It was kind of funny to see them inspect my metal hole punch trying to figure it out. Even my husbands paracord weaving kit was looked at with suspicion. Apparently they thought it was some sort of blasting cord. What makes the whole thing kinda funny is... we were worried about my husbands knife and both of our stun-guns!! They were in our checked bag. We made a point of telling them where they were and why we had them before we even went through the scanners. But that didn't stop all 7 security guards from going into high alert. Don't get me wrong... I'm glad they are doing their job. But maybe next time... they can poker face their way through an inspection and not look so much like the Keystone Cops.


There is no moral to this story, but there is good news. We got to keep our "weapons" by shipping them back on the same bus we were travelling on. Also, I now know that if I have to travel this way again... I will make sure to mail myself "all" of my weapons and avoid the headaches at security check points and save myself a couple of bucks.

Widgets and Doodads

I've been experimenting with wigets in the hopes of improving the appearance of my website, blog and other pages. Today was about finding a good slideshow widget, amongst other things.

So, here it goes. If I did it right you will be able to see this....


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

These are but a few of the pieces I've created. Some were custom works, a few of the others are still available.