OT and Not OT Update on me:)

Good to see you, Candace!

--
Jerri
www.beadbimbo.com
"~Candace~" wrote in message
et...
Before I begin...Skype...I have no idea what my account settings are set
to, as I think I've only actually used Skype twice. But how terribly rude
of it to say I wouldn't share!

So, as many of you know, we were living in the Evil House Of Mold, and
expecting our third child. He was born in August 05, and I'll spare you
the gory details. (Okay..maybe one or two..like how DH nearly decked the
gal who set up my epidural--she was a mean, mean, MEAN person!) We were
pretty strapped for money around then, so I was trading my jewelry for
baby stuff, with other RCBers Almost all of Elijah's newborn layette
came from trading, or the virtual baby shower that a group of my beading
friends from RCB threw for us. The beautiful outfit made by Shirley has
since gone into his Keepsakes Box

That fall, DH's parents approached us and said they'd back us if we could
find a house to buy. With their outstanding credit, we'd be able to get
not just a house, but a lovely house--one that would fit all five of us
and the kitty. So we began looking, in our town and the surrounding
towns, for something that would suit our needs. Plans got put on hold
when my migraines escalated and we found out that I have a condition
called Transient Ischemic Attack Syndrome. Basically, it means that the
spasming blood vessel that causes my migraines is also cutting off
precious oxygen to my brain. If this goes on long enough, I have a mini
stroke, and have an increased risk of full blown stroke within the next
few days.

The first time that happened...eeesh. All I knew was that my head hurt,
and I was mostly unable to see anything, and then DH was leaning over me,
holding the baby, as I lay on the floor. I had passed out cold while
trying to make it from bed to living room, to tell him that something was
wrong--my thoughts were garbled, confusing. I made it two steps from the
bed before I had a piercing pain, and the next thing I knew, Adam was
trying to get a response from me. He'd heard the *thump* of my hitting
the floor. It took a couple of hours, but my mind righted itself--I was
just exhausted.

Luckily, I've only had two more mini strokes since then, but now I know
the signs (that tell me a migraine is not going to be Just a migraine,)
and I can usually head it off with medication. There's no lasting effect,
thankfully. Its scary when it happens, tho--to look at your kid and
think...oh..what a cute baby...I wonder who he belongs to? Or to try and
try to recall what my husband's name is, or how to do something I normally
do 10 times a day.

But enough about that.

Last spring, we began looking again, and found the house we wanted fairly
quickly. It was in the town closest to Adam's work, which is good.
Unfortunately, its also a very small town--even smaller than where we were
living. We miss city life, so this is a constant struggle, this small
town life. The hardest part is that we live in a very narrow minded,
bigoted, racially aggressive area of the US. Yuck.

With the help of Adam's parents, we bought our first home. You can see it
he http://www.collierco.com/new_pages/W...316closeup.htm
So we moved, and that was an experience I won't soon forget! I had two
broken toes, a 3 year old and a 8 month old at home all day, a 7 year in
school, and migraines happening at least three times a week. DH had to
work all day, and I was hardly any use, where getting us moved was
concerned. We actually had the house for a month before we moved all the
way in, and we spent that time moving things over bit by bit while Darian
finished up 1st grade. We painted the kitchen a color that was supposed
to be terra cotta, but instead got pumpkin orange, LOL! (This is on the
list of things to fix--we have new paint, just haven't done it yet.)

Darian spent the summer making new friends, missing his old ones, and
learning what it means to live in *your own home.* Adam spent last summer
enjoying his new ten minute commute, versus the old 60 miles round trip he
had been doing. Tyler quickly realized that he now had room to actually
PLAY! Elijah got past his "I'm a new baby" and settled right in to being
*the little brother.*

I spent my summer working to establish myself as a seller on Etsy.com.
http://duet.etsy.com It was slow going at first, but I had a partner in
crime--some of you may recall her from here--"lunamom" aka Diana. She's
been my best friend and confidant for quite some time now, and even though
we still haven't ever seen each other face to face, I knew there was no
one else I'd rather share an online shop with. Sales picked up towards
the end of last year and I was able to give my kids one heck of a good
Yule celebration In January, I began selling my hand coiled wire beads
and my sales have risen steadily ever since. (My hot item right now is
hand formed ear wires, mostly in sterling.) In March, Diana opened her
own shop there, and she's been busily creating beautiful polymer clay
items ever since. http://lunamom.etsy.com I don't think either of us
could be more pleased with our progress at this point

So, I haven't left the world of beads--I still make jewelry, and now I
sell it, too!!! I've got some submissions in for a new book coming out
late this year...waiting to see if my work was accepted. I've been asked
to submit a how to article for a major beading magazine, but I simply
haven't had the time to do so yet. I still run the Yahoo Group Orphan
Beads, which ebbs and flows like any group does. Life is pretty gosh darn
good, you know? We are so much happier now.

I suppose y'all might like to hear our latest awesome news 3 days ago,
we set up our lampwork bench in the garage. I bought a kiln about two
months ago (a brand spanking new Jen-Ken!) and we still have the little
HotHead that was gifted to us in a TFNR. Our happiness meter has shot
through the roof! We have a small collection of beginner beads, and will
work at it until we become the best we can at it. Adam is a natural--he
had never even seen a video of someone lampworking until two days ago, and
yet he's whipping out perfectly round and centered doughnuts like an old
pro. I, on the other hand, will need some time to catch up to his natural
aptitude for the glass

The house is a mess--who can clean when there's glass to be melted??? and
we've had take out a couple times too many, but the kids are fine and
we're happy, so who cares, you know? LOL! He's got a 4 day weekend, so
we'll split the time between chores and glass, and hopefully come out for
the better in the end. Adam is waiting eagerly for his ten days off in
July--he's got the hot glass bug and I think its great! I just hope that
some day in the not too distant future, I'll be able to send him to a
class--there are none in our area, so this will take some time, planning,
and of course, money.

(On a side note....if any of you lampworkers know where we can find good
used tools of the trade, please let me know. _Especially a pair of
glasses--we have one pair, but two people_ Our set up is *very basic* and
we'd love to be able to do more with our glass.)

So, I think that about brings us to now. Darian finishes 2nd grade
tomorrow, and we're in the process of having Tyler evaluated for
Asperger's Syndrome (one of the many afflictions in the Autism spectrum,
but a milder one.) I can hear Elijah waking up in his bedroom, so Momma
time is starting (well...round three of it..Round 1 starts at 6 am, round
2 begins around 7, and now is Elijah time, lol!)

If you'd like to see some pics of everyone, have a looksie here, and check
out the various albums http://flickr.com/duet

Thank you Shirley, for pulling me out of my hidey hole I love you
muchly, dear lady.

~Candace~
http://duet.etsy.com

CANDACE -- good freaking grief, HELLO!!! How wonderful to hear from
you again. Congrats on the house, sorry about the mold, congrats on
the baby and I totally love the black coiled wire findings. Are you
selling those by themselves? I haven't made it through your store yet
(bookmarked it) but when I was making a lot of my own findings, I
found that people wanted to buy them like crazy.

LOVE HAVING YOUR NAME BACK IN MY LIFE -- Becki in California

Awww...Becki...I missed you too, you snarky and lovable wench Ty on
the house, the mold, the baby, and the findings Yep, I sell the
findings in small sets, some with my hand coiled clasps, some not...and
man am I overdue to add some more to the shop. I had to quit listing my
Hot Sellers (sterling and copper ear wires) this week--migraines do not
make for good quality, yanno? But I think I'll go into production mode
this coming week and get some fresh coiled wire beads up and listed

How's Cali? Gawds I miss it there. We've been stuck down here in
Podunk for 4 years now....eeesh. I'm starting to forget what the word
*Diverse* means I just have to keep telling myself that the cost of
living is next to nothing here, and suck it up.

~Candace~
http://duet.etsy.com


Beckibead wrote:
CANDACE -- good freaking grief, HELLO!!! How wonderful to hear from
you again. Congrats on the house, sorry about the mold, congrats on
the baby and I totally love the black coiled wire findings. Are you
selling those by themselves? I haven't made it through your store yet
(bookmarked it) but when I was making a lot of my own findings, I
found that people wanted to buy them like crazy.

LOVE HAVING YOUR NAME BACK IN MY LIFE -- Becki in California

Cali is still astonishing to me. Hot today in Redwood City, wore a
breezy sleeveless tunic with leggings to get my hair cut in Berkeley
and froze. LOLOLOLOL -- you can drive to whatever kind of weather you
wish on any given day. It is gorgeous and wonderful, and I am making
great new friends here. I'm gradually working my way more south -
live in Redwood City, work in Menlo Park and hang out most often in
San Jose. But still all over the Bay on the weekends, and always at
the Beach on the weekends. It is a great life.

Glad you are happy with the house!!! I'm loving your jewelry.
Question -- I haven't read the description, but is the black wire
annonized steel or plastic coated wire? I have a friend who can't
wear metal and I was looking at the beaded bracelet with the black
findings -- if it is plastic coated wire she may be able to wear it.

Becki

Oh yeah...I miss that weather at your fingertips aspect

All of my colored wire is coated with polynylon enamel. Which means
that the only way any metal would touch the person is if they tried very
hard to make contact with a wire end, but I make a point to curl and
tuck all the ends on those beads.

I love the way the colors pop on that bracelet Thank you for the
compliment, Becki!

~Candace~
http://duet.etsy.com



Beckibead wrote:
Cali is still astonishing to me. Hot today in Redwood City, wore a
breezy sleeveless tunic with leggings to get my hair cut in Berkeley
and froze. LOLOLOLOL -- you can drive to whatever kind of weather you
wish on any given day. It is gorgeous and wonderful, and I am making
great new friends here. I'm gradually working my way more south -
live in Redwood City, work in Menlo Park and hang out most often in
San Jose. But still all over the Bay on the weekends, and always at
the Beach on the weekends. It is a great life.

Glad you are happy with the house!!! I'm loving your jewelry.
Question -- I haven't read the description, but is the black wire
annonized steel or plastic coated wire? I have a friend who can't
wear metal and I was looking at the beaded bracelet with the black
findings -- if it is plastic coated wire she may be able to wear it.

Becki