Store Closing

We have finally decided to close the Williamsburg store at the end of this month. It will be sad because I designed it, got it up and running, have wonderful employees and customers. On the other hand, it will be a relief. It has been hard managing and driving between the two stores. I am looking forward to staying close to home, concentrating on the Hampton store and my home and family. I plan to de-clutter my life and simplify. Oh, that sounds so good.

Bead Haven Trunk Show

The August trunk show beads are out and they are looking good! Both stores have tables full of beads. You can shop until August 19th, so you have plenty of time. Enjoy!

Time well spent

I have spent many hours trying to learn my new "smart phone" and many hours trying to sync my computer, add contacts to my other email accounts and trying to learn more about Face book. So I am learning things slowly. I think that once I can do some of these things, I can better organize my day. Hopeful thinking.

Better still, is the many hours I have put into beading this collar. I want to finish it by the end of August for a show I am doing. This is the first collar I have attempted and like my freeform peyote, I don't want to stop, to call it finished. But I will, when it is ready.

I Want A New Name

Starflower Designs is my jewelry design business name. I keep it seperated from my Bead Haven store.
When I added the beaded photo to the blog header, I realized that Starflower Designs just represent my beading.
Starflower Designs came from the little star with a flower below it that I have doodled forever. But it's time to change, move on.
I am thinking about Sea and Sand Jewelry or Ocean Waves Jewelry of something like that.

November Already!

Summer is a haze.

A nice relaxing week-end on the island. No cars, just golf carts to ride around in. No commercial anything. Nice beaches and nature reserves. Ahhh...

A cruise with the family was lots of fun.

A beading week-end with Margo Field and a room full of happy beaders. It was a wonderful week-end and I have actually finished a ring, which I love to wear. Everyone enjoyed her workshops so much, that she is coming back in March!

I love my stores. I know I am very fortunate to be doing something I love. But it has become hard for me to manage them both. Driving between the two, traffic, scheduling, all that stuff. I miss beading, making class samples and helping customers. Two stores, one too many. Thinking about my options.

Change, it is coming. Obama, he has a long hard trip ahead of him. I believe he can do it. Help us out of this mess Bush has gotten us into.

Fred is very sick. He almost died from what is probably an auto-immune disease. He is on lots of medicine and has been going everywhere with me. I don't want him in the house all day. He drinks and pees a lot! Poor Katy has to stay home with the cats. Fred is really sweet and I hate to see him not feeling well. He is improving though, so that is good.

I am looking forward to visiting family for the Holidays. I am hoping we can go to NY to visit my in-laws for Thanksgiving. In December we are driving south to visit Mom and Dad in SC and then on to Orlando to be with the girls and grandkids. And another 4 night cruise with Kay and Tony. The kids stay home. (Two straws, Tony!)

Summer Days

I love summer. Especially July. Not just because it is my birthday month :) but because the sun is so bright and warm, days are slow and lazy (well I can dream!), walks on the beach with the sound of the water, the shore birds and shells all speak to my spirit. And I am going to celebrate all this with a long week-end on Bald Head Island in NC. Burt and I are leaving tomorrow and I am ready for the relaxing days.


Bead Haven customer, LaRaunce Fleming, left a beautiful but bitter sweet comment on my April entry. Thank you for sharing your story with us. I am so grateful for the wonderful customers and staff at Bead Haven. The store is truly a "Beader's Haven".

I welcome all to come spend time with us, learn, create, share and have a beady good time.


And I have to share with you my sweet and beautiful granddaughter's graduations pictures.

http://www.katherinerenae.com/

Her aunt Thresa made her website. Good Job to you both!

Spring Fever

I love this time of year! The flowers are starting to bloom and I feel like I am too. I am getting things refreshed and clearing out clutter. I just have too much stuff.

The stores are filled with beads after weeks of buying, sorting, pricing, entering and playing with them. The Tucson Gem and Mineral show is just incredible. Burt and I had a really good time this year. Though, I did tell him I needed to train for it next year! We shopped 6 full days, each day at a different show or two. You would think I would be tired of beads, but now all I want to do is Bead! Go figure.


I am trying to learn to take better pictures and get them posted here. It is just that I would rather be beading than messing with this computer when I do have some down time. And all the blogs I see that are so nicely done. Sigh.......

I am really excited that Bead Haven is going to be a vendor again at The Art and Soul Retreat in Hampton. The retreat is such a burst of creative energy. Check it out! www.artandsoulretreat.com