The lady's a winner!

Wow! We came, we played and we conquered! Well, conquered is maybe a little strong. After going to the Marshalltown Bead Bash, mom, Cris, Julie and I stopped at the casino in Tama and played the slots. We made our way to the non-smoking section going through the maze of machines, little old ladies with blue hair and oxygen machines amid a haze of smoke. It was a lot of fun and Cris couldn't push those buttons fast enough! Don't you love the look on her face! We came back to Cedar Rapids with more money than we left with so it's considered a win but it probably wasn't enough to buy a tank of gas. After getting back to the Bead Haven, Cris and I went inside for a minute that turned into a couple of hours. We scavenged around looking for things to make molds and found some very interesting things...... from tree bark to a pencil cup. Come visit us in the store and take a look at what we made!

My birthday has blown by....

Well, officially my birthday is over for another year. As birthdays go, this one was better than some! My first "happy birthday" came from my sister, then my mother (with the sweetest card and thoughtful gift), a text message from Susie, and a singing birthday greeting from my daughter in North Carolina.

My mom was worried that I had to 'work' on my birthday. I keep reminding her that being at the bead store is NOT WORK - I LOVE BEING THERE! But even though I love being at Bead Haven, I did take time out to enjoy a couple of birthday margaritas with my virgo friend Cristina Lucinda Barcelona Leonardo. I practiced my Spanish on the waiter and it went muy bueno!

My dear old friend, Paula, came into the store today too. It was nice to catch up with her.

On the journey home I listened to another singing birthday greeting from my nephew Austin, who lives in Cleveland. He is 17 now a very sweet young man.

So, back to the official birthday.... that's over....but unofficially, Cris and I both have some birthday celebrating to do later this month. We'll make sure to do it up good!

Happy Birthday to all you other Virgos out there!

Thanks to Cris!

Thanks to my friend Cris! She went with me Thursday to bead shop - which meant she had to get up a couple of hours before the sun did. Cris - you were such great help even though you may not believe it! There's too much for 1 person to do and it gets overwhelming, so I appreciate all your help, including acting as chauffeur to me on the way home. One more thing, thanks for not making a big deal about me eating 24 Chick-O-Sticks within 15 minutes.

The excitement is building!

I'll be going on the road Thursday to the big bead warehouse. At times like this I find it hard to sleep - my mind spins out of control, thinking of all the beads to look for and the anticipation of all the beads I haven't met yet.
I'm particularly looking forward to this trip since it's been almost 6 months since the last one. In a typical year, I'll make this trip 3 or 4 times, but everyone in the Cedar Rapids area knows that this year has been anything but ordinary. (We moved the store, weathered the weather and all the economic pitfalls with that.)
So come Wednesday night, I'll pack all the essentials to make the trip go smooth. I carry a small bag with me of special items I've had before and are now eluding me - particularly the opaque brown czech rondelles - a step ladder, empty tubs and shower hooks, paper and pens, calculator, a cooler for beverages and chocolate - oh and Garmina (my smooth talking GPS) - but I hate it when she keeps repeating herself "Make a U-turn", "Make a U-turn!" "Make A U-Turn Idiot!"
Back to the trip - My heart does little flip flops when I get in the car to go. Then it settles down until we pull up to the warehouse. There is goes again....flip, flop, flip, flop! And when I step inside I can't even hear myself think! It's a real test of brain-power! I keep telling myself to stay focused! (and Cris too!)
There's Czech glass, stones, crystals, shells, silver, copper, and everything I dream about. No place is safe from me in the warehouse - that's the reason for the step ladder! If I see a box on the top of a shelf my curiosity can't be contained.
At the end of the day, I'm so elated with my new treasures that even when I pay the bill my serotonin is so high I float right through it.
Then the excitement doesn't stop there. All the way home I'll be dreaming of what's in my car trunk, and what we can do with it. When we arrive back in Cedar Rapids, unloading the trunk is another heart palpitation. And I re-live these moments when my friends and customers come shopping in the store. It's a great feeling when I share the excitement with everyone who comes into Bead Haven. I'm Vanna White and you're the next big winner!