Hand Me a Pen

It's that time of year...
BEAD AND BUTTON starts in like, 15 days and I am packing and planning... (Still room in a few of my classes BTW, check 'em here.)

If you are attending, I'd love to meet you at my book signing on Friday afternoon at the Beaducation booth.

I'll be there, pen in hand, ready to sign your book and have a chat. Looking forward to spending some time with the best gals in the business. If you are not attending the show, check out the Beaducation website. They have classes, supplies and the BEST customer service around. (Plus their entire stock of gold filled blanks are 25% off through May 20.)

Have a great weekend everyone. I am off to decide how many shoes I can fit in my suitcase.

Everything Old is New Again

This past Sunday I went to the Alameda Flea Market with two of my favorite people, Jess and Lisa. I haven't been in such a long time and it's such fun.

First off, the location is lovely!

Right on Alameda Point. It's a great view of the city. It's hard to pay attention when that view is right in front of you.

We started out at 7 AM. Everything there is supposed to be at least 20 years old... and it is...mostly. It's funny, since I grew up with my grandparents it's like taking a walk down memory lane for me. It seems that everything I saw reminded me of my childhood.

For my local Gilroy friends. You'll remember Ford's department store.

There was a lot of stuff that reminded me of my Grampy.

Wood planers.

Oil cans.

And there were things that reminded me of my Gran.

 Accordions. 

Datebooks.

There were life lessons...(HA!)

 How to wash clothes.

How to cook.

There were things I wanted to buy and didn't.

Movie soundtracks.

 Velvet dresses.

Red tap shoes.

Old boxes with old radio stickers.

There were some things I did buy...

Okay, Jess bought them for me. I kind of love them. These are the salt and pepper shakers we had when I was growing up. I also bought a hand mirror, some vintage pins and a hammer. What a great day. We ran into old friends, had good snacks and walked and walked.

If you are in the SF Bay Area on the first Sunday of the month, don't miss it.

You won't be disappointed!

Time for a Refill

You know, sometimes things get hectic. This has been a crazy year for me. Lots of travel. Lots of writing. Lots of TV appearances. Lots of classes.

Don't get me wrong, though. It's great. Really great. I am so very, very lucky to be doing the things that I love every single day. But things can get stressful. Sometimes I get mired down in the details of everyday living and my tunnel vision kicks in.

But lately I have been finding a balance. Making time for fun. Making time for me. Today is one of those days.

It started with this...

A non-jewelry related project. Some quiet time and coffee. And it's gonna end with this...

A day at my studio filled with friends and fiber and chatting and laughing and food. I am filling my creative well so I can keep doing this...

Sometimes you just need to mix it up. I am so ready! Now go out and have a great weekend. Find some fodder for your creative self. And smile. It's gonna be a great day.