On this beautiful Monday I begin this posting with a picture of the waterfront in Port Townsend taken on my early morning walk downtown. It just feels content, peaceful, the water all smooth and the boats barely moving on the current. Somedays, when the world seems crushing and people make mean comments about each other or reference misunderstood acts, it is nice to remember there is calming peace in that which is the everyday.

Respect. Respect for oneself and one's work. Sounds like an ego trip or a mouthful of artist speak. I have always respected my work and the efforts and energies I have put into creating, making and doing a line of work regardless of wether it is one of my charms, a piece of jewelry, a painting or arranging my shop. It is all my creative outlet and all my body of work to me. I respect it and I respect the end result.

As an artist, I have of course had pieces copied or reproduced. It is not at all my favorite thing to encounter but because I am creative, blessed with proliferation; I have work everywhere at all times. I just move on to the next thing. Never stagnant, always working, always respectful of the work and play that turns into my new pieces. Sometimes it seems as though it is through the measure of other's, the imitation of what I have done by others; that lights a fire under me and gets me going in a new, creative direction!

Whatever it is, I am thrilled, THRILLED to be able to do what I do. Not a day goes by that I do not consider it a blessing to be able to do what I love! If I had a wish for the world, it would be that everyone find work that they love and feel happy to be able to do.

Altruistic? Maybe. A wonderful thought? Definitely.

Andrea's birthday dinner at Lanza's Ristorante

These party pictures do not exactly appear in the order that I wish they did so like my life, it is a bit disjointed and tells a story here and there. Anyhow, this is Sally, Andrea's stepmom, with a laugh of redemption after she wondered when I might be turning 50!! HAHA - I am already there and a bit beyond at that! Why did she have to redeem herself? Because she bought a bead ( A BEAD!!! ) at another ( another!! ) store in PT as a gift for Andrea! Can you believe it? I will be teasing her about this for a very long time....


How does this fabulous meal look? Make you feel a bit hungry? It was so full of flavor and texture and I enjoyed every bite of it in celebration of Andrea's 48th birthday! Happy Birthday, Andrea & many more!




A portrait of Andrea and her stash of birthday loot!



This single flower stem was in a vase on our dinner table at Lanza's and it was so pretty in a true scarlet with radiating lines of yellow from the center. It sat right in front of me and I was hypnotized by it!

This is the sky on Sunday evening. Is it not beautiful? Breathing in the slat air on the ferry ride, seeing the mountain and the colors of the sky near the sunset made me feel just happy to be alive in this glorious place!




If you look very closely, you can just barely see the mountain poking through the weather changing sky on Sunday night's ferry ride from Edmonds to Kingston. I never get tired of seeing any of the mountains.

The fabulous weekend bead show banner created in one hour in a hotel room with the effervescent Lisa my creative muse and co conspirator!



The Northwest Bead Society show was a blast. We had so much fun seeing friends and eating great meals with Lisa that I almost did not want the weekend to end! The best part was the fun I had with Lisa of Zizzyzaza Beads. I had forgotten to pack any banners for my booth, I can not begin to tell you where my head was; so we walked across the street to the fabric store and spent $22 buying stuff so I could make a banner. Then I told her Huckleberry Finn style, how much fun she would have helping me make this banner.... and presto, an hour later this beautiful piece of artwork was finished! HAHA - it was was 2 art students putting all their education to great use! How you may ask, did we get all those sequins and paillettes on the banner in just the right places? We shook them up in our hands, threw them across the banner and glued them where they landed! Sparkles are us!

I am going to post pictures that were taken during my weekend at the Northwest Bead Society show, where I did have fun, see friends and ate great food but first I just wanted to whine a bit! My medical bills have started to arrive and so far they exceed my ENTIRE LAST YEAR'S INCOME!!! What narrow minded, ignorant fools ( and I sure as hell hope these fools take no government assistance ie, medicare, medicade, social security, flood insurance etc. ) could say that we, the richest country in the world, does not need a medical plan available AND affordable to ALL its citizens!!! I am certain I will be on a path to war as I begin letter writing campaigns to congress, the senate, Glen Beck ( major fool ) and anyone else I can think of! Wake up everyone!

Before the weekend's journey begins at the bead show ( we do get a pretty ferry boat ride before getting there ) I will leave you with this quote that I like. I can not remember where I found it but I like it nonetheless. Enjoy.




This is where I will be for the weekend, at the Lynnewood Convention Center in you guessed it, Lynnewood! It is the annual Northwest bead society Show and I will be a vendor of beautiful beads, charms and jewelry. Hope to see some old friends and customers and make new friends and customers. The weather is slated to be hot ( 84 -86 degrees !!!!! ) so that may keep people at the beach and parks but really, beaders, the wet weather will arrive and you will need beads for your sanity while indoors!