BeadingSusie's Xanga

NEW BLOG

Fri, 02 May 2008 17:30:06 GMT

Come visit our new blog at http://blog.auntiesbeads.com .

Parking Lot Sale Blunder

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:45:23 GMT

Well, open mounth, insert foot. After 8 and half years of growing, moving and rearranging, we had our first ever "Auntie's Beads Parking Lot Sale" this weekend. I was amazed at the amount of furniture, NEW fixtures, old equipment, and even misplaced jewelry that we had accumulated over time. I even found a box of personal photos stored years ago in the attic of the Grapevine store. It was the perfect weekend. Beautiful blue skies, temperatures in the 60's, and a willing staff manning the sale. On Saturday morning, sipping our Starbucks and waiting for our first sale, a lovely woman stepped out of her SUV. Fashionably dressed and sunglasses in hand, she made her way slowly around the merchandise. Seeing her "bump", I pointed out that we had some brand new baby clothes. She politely thanked me and headed that way. So, I cheerfully asked, in my normally loud voice, "When is your baby due?" "Oh, I'm not pregnant, I just need to lose a little weight." Yikes! Needless to say, she got some great deals that day, walking away with everything purchased at half price. These awkward moments I guess could happen to anyone. Or not.

Niki

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:25:41 GMT

I saw baby Niki for the first time since the accident today. The wound is shocking, encompassing half of the top of her head and going down the side of her chubby baby face, barely missing her eye. Even though the doctors say that she will be fine, her eyes are not the same, going in different directions at times. McDonalds was the unanimous decision for lunch and the girls had a ball. Dropping them off at their bare, drug infested and sometimes dangerous apartment complex, I just plain hurt. My heart hurts. Coming home to my comfortable surroundings, seeing beautiful trees, beautiful people, beautiful cars and never being afraid, it just doesn't seem right. Eleven year old Jessica has really made an impression on me. Very smart, loved by her teachers, and seeming to take on the role as an additional mother, I want to yell "You are just a kid. Be a kid. You have a right to be a kid!!!" Three of the five children are American citizens, born in the United States. But, "big Jessica"(the mom) cannot legally work to support her children. I WISH someone would explain this to me. She wants to work. We would hire her. But, we can't. I continue to pray for direction, I know that I am supposed to do something. In the meantime, forgive my dark commentaries. This is where my heart is at this time.

Munchkin Land

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 07:06:21 GMT

I have had little munchkins in my house since last Tuesday. I know this because the cereal is gone, there are Crayola's on every table, and I woke up in a wet bed Saturday morning. Apparently a munchkin got in my bed Friday night. Three little girls and a beautiful 4 month old baby boy have been mine for a few days. Their 2 year old little sister was accidentally struck by a car on Tuesday. We really didn't know them very well. You see Jessica, the mom, doesn't have "papers" and doesn't speak English very well. They are an inner city family that has fallen through the cracks, barely getting by. Jessica has to be a terrific mom, though. Her children are devoted to her and are polite and loving. Baby Niki will be fine. She is to be released from the hospital today. I will never forget the days I was allowed to spend with these children, and my staff won't either. Karla and Shanna taught the older girls beading, we now have new recruits! And baby Fernando was loved on and fell asleep in Karla's arms. There is nothing more relaxing than holding a soft, squishy, SLEEPING four-month-old baby. These kids will always have their mom, but now they have a large "extended" family.

Peace and Wonder

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:52:55 GMT

It's Friday night. It has been a difficult week. The stress is weighing on my shoulders like lead, making it hard for me to stand. But, as I walk onto my patio, in the sky, the moon is perfectly round, shining like a beacon. The smell of fresh cut grass takes me back to my childhood, in the country, a peaceful memory. My God IS an awesome God. I will not shrink from saying it. I will not apologize for believing it.

Cheers to St. Patrick

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:39:44 GMT

I grew up in a very small town, Kennett, MO. Our town consisted of one very long main street, a "nice" restaurant, the Palace Cafe, and a movie theatre that has one screen. The first big screen movie I ever saw was Gone With The Wind, back in the '60s. For me, St. Patrick's Day meant wearing a green shirt so every other kid wouldn't pinch you all day. I was totally oblivious to parades, green water and green beer, much less the man, St. Patrick. An interesting man, this Patrick. A vision lead him to bring Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century. He used the clover as a "prop" to describe the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. His legacy has evolved into wearing green and drinking colored beer. I don't know if Patrick had a sense of humor, I'll bet he did. We still enjoy wearing green, we even have a contest for "best dressed" on St. Paddy's Day at the office. But the man, who baptised thousands of people, left a special mark on this world. So, when you raise your glass of green beer, make the first toast to the man.

Claritin Clearly Drowsy

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:42:46 GMT

This is the time of year that Kleenex makes all their money. I should probably buy some stock. Kleenex boxes are located in all key areas of my home: bathrooms, kitchen, office. I actually do pretty well controlling allergies as long as I have my dear friend around, Claritin D. Unfortunately, it's not very convenient to obtain Claritin D these days. You have to stand in the pharmacy line, show your drivers license, sign that you will not sell it, that it is for your private use, then you get to purchase 15 of these lifesavers. So, you can imagine how disappointed I was to discover I was totally out of Claritin D on Friday. By the time I got home on Friday evening, I was pretty miserable. Digging through Ron's drawer, I discovered a Benedryl. I had no plans for the evening, so in my mouth it went. Thirty minutes later I was out for the night. Waking up to a beautiful Saturday morning, I made my cup of coffee and immediately the sneezing began. "Why don't you take something?" was Ron's question. "Well, I would love to, but I don't have anything that won't make me sleepy" I replied. Ron reached into his briefcase and pulled out a lovely little bottle of allergy relief medication. Yippee! "The dosage is 2" he said, so 2 went into my mouth. As we sat on the patio, drinking our morning coffee, I looked at Ron and asked "Are you sure these are non-drowsy"? "Yes, I'm positive", said he. Grabbing my glasses, I yanked the bottle from the briefcase only to read "will cause marked drowsiness". Then, I knew, a beautiful Saturday would pass me by, because I will be in bed.

Passport to Paradise

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:00:33 GMT

There are a few moments in life that really stand out. The birth of a child, a 25th wedding anniversary, an expired passport. Huh? What? It's the end of February and time for the annual all-women, we-are-fam-i-ly trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Normally, the guest list consists of my 2 cousins from California and my Aunt Scottie from Branson, MO. California bailed at the last minute. So, with 2 empty beds in paradise, I invited my daughter-in-law, Kelly and Courtney, my daughter, to experience this exclusive, girls-only getaway. The excitement was building for 2 weeks. The girls had heard tales of pristine beaches, 80-degree temperatures and whispers of "what happens in Mexico"...you know the rest. All bags packed and ready to board the jet, one look at Courtney's passport and my heart skipped a beat. I must be looking at it wrong. "Can someone hand me my glasses?" I screamed. But the numbers didn't change even with my readers. Expiration, June 2007. The horrifying news brought tears from Courtney and me. I had been looking forward to presenting this trip to her as much as she had been looking forward to going. But there were 3 others of us who had to board the plane, leaving Ron and Courtney at home, looking for options. Arriving at the resort, we unpacked our bags, took a short walk on the beach and waited for a phone call. As I answered the phone, I knew my husband had a plan. "We are driving" he said. "Driving. To Puerto Vallarta. You are DRIVING to Puerto Vallarta??" I shakily replied. "It's the only way to get her there and I am going to get her there" was his answer. WOW! What a Dad! Dad of the year! Dad of the century! And drive her he did! 28 hours later they arrived in Paradise! One of those memories we will never forget.

Christmas in...February?

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:38:53 GMT

It is just like Christmas at the office. Boxes and boxes of beautiful beads call our floor home, each hank delicately wrapped. I don't normally "blow our horn" too much, but I do think that we choose beads better than anyone else. Staying on top of trends is the name of the game in our business. We scour industry magazines, listen closely to our vendors and choose each bead with a lot of thought. We don't try to be like anyone else, we are just "us", and I LOVE that! I preach passion at the office. Your life will change when you become passionate about what you do. Passion comes very easily when you stare at these gorgeous beads all day! If you want to see them, check the New Products page daily for about 3 weeks: http://www.auntiesbeads.com/Category.aspx?ID=cce8b2c1-67f4-45cb-9965-54c15e10f881! Let me know YOUR passion!

Trendy in Tucson

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:30:40 GMT

The weather in Tucson was perfect this year, blue skies and cool temperatures daily. Rising early every morning and loading into our blue Ford Expedition to discover new treasures was our daily routine. The cast of characters included Louise, Karla, Alyssa and myself, and the word "character" is a perfect description. It's really hard to explain how we all "fit" together at Auntie's Beads. We just really like each other and everywhere we go there is laughter and fun. Tucson was no exception. The first day included no lunch and only one potty break, but lots of beautiful beads and baubles that I can't wait to show you. The following days weren't quite so hectic, but the beads were equally fine and fabulous! I think this was the best Tucson show in many years. As buyers, we were very selective. The gemstone industry has finally caught up with the fashion trends, offering shades of yellow, orange and pink that I've not seen before. We are going to be "stylin" at Auntie's Beads with these new strands and I think you are going to love it!