Here's hoping 2011 will be filled with creativity and inspiration!

I personally am hoping for that and lots more, but I most hope to keep my attitude sunny and positive.  Lately I've been letting myself get dragged down into this pit of ~b l a h~.  That thick, sticky, hard-to-shake, motivation-creativity-sucking feeling of not wanting to do anything but sit on the couch and watch reality tv shows (my personal guilty pleasure).  And even with all the support and caring and encouragement you guys send my way, I realize no one but me is going to be able to turn that attitude around.  That's the only resolution I'm making this year - positive attitude. 

I made two small beaded gifts this year:

A picture frame ornament for my niece Ashlee and her husband Adam.

I choose the red/black/white theme specifically because those were the colors of their wedding (this past August).

And an embellished drink coaster for my mom.  Every year I give my mom something 'bird related'. 

I had the perfect fabric in my stash (not that you can see very much of it in the finished project!). 

And I choose my colors based on the chickadee.

I thought encasing the coaster with these stacks rather than a peyote stitch would be quicker.  Not sure if it was.

I was so committed to using these beautiful potato pearls I had gotten at Artbeads ages ago, that even though their holes were so dinky tiny I had to use a long size 12 needle, I stuck with it.  Believe me, I wanted to swap out different beads.  Trying to bead through poster board, pellon, and the fabric with that long flimsy needle was a pain!  So tedious. 

Speaking of being committed.....no, silly, not in that way!  I haven't been shoved into the rubber room (yet).  I finished my first Bead Journal Project piece for January.  I don't have any pics yet  It was too dark tonight to take any, but as long as my computer continues to behave, I will post those up real soon!  In the meantime here's the colors I used (except the loose beads - those didn't make the cut).

Big Hugs to everyone - thank you for saying all the right things when I need it most! 

Bead Happy and Often!

enough already

   My sweet lovable Cloudy has passed.  I will miss him forever.  I've had cats my whole life and none like him.  Any time the good times want to start rolling my way again, I'm more than ready for them!

Out of the Snow and Into the Desert

When I started blogging, I had zero expectations of anyone even finding my blog.  Most of all, I never expected to make friends.  And now I don't know what I would do without you all! 

As a little thank you to my cyberfriend Lisa (who is always willing to listen to my overly long emails and even respond back to me!), I made her a post-it-note holder in her favorite colors - indigo blues and purples.  Well, she received it and really liked it, so I thought I would show everyone else what is now living happily in Arizona:

Meanwhile back in the northeast, we are just kicking off our winter weather.  We broke out the iceskates and headed into the City of Buffalo for the Tree Lighting Ceremony and some ice skating at Rotary Rink.

Heading down to the subway

Hannah, Justin, Claire, Matt & Meghan on the subway train

Well, it was more like ice shuffling than skating!  Very crowded :) 

It was mega-cold, but all good!

Please don't let the holiday rush rush take away the real meaning of this season.

Bead Happy and Often!