January 30, 2010 THANKS DJ WATTS!!!

I met DJ Watts a year ago in a bazaar in Alabang.  I absolutely loved his selection and compilation of beats. Made me want to party all day and night!! 

Early this morning, I listened to one of his hed kandi compilations for the first time while waiting for my car's turn to be serviced.

I love the song Walking with a Smile! It absolutely brought By Beaded Story closer to its 2010 dream . . .  What it is?  Just wait and see =)  Let's DANCE for now!!!  Ciao!!!

Walking with a Smile by Wez Clarke and Maxine Hardcastle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iinff8wlup4

Photo borrowed from www.videa.vsetkyvidea.sk/wez/

January 29, 2010 WISH THESE WERE BEADS

Leaves of Central Park

Rocks  of La Luz

Coins in a fountain

Winning!!! cards

Bald in the city friends =)

Father and Son moment

and . . .

Mr. M&M!  Whoa!!! Chocolate necklaces...melts in your mouth & your NECK!

January 28, 2010 Live Your Dream

Millions of hearts were touched by this lady when she sang in her audition I Dreamed the Dream from Les Miserables. I was touched and to this day I still end in tears.

*Sharing this link with you of I Dreamed the Dream audition . . . .www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk

Miss Susan Boyle, you inspire me. You are right. Dreams are not meant to be shattered. They are meant to be lived. Like you, I am now finally living my dreams. You absolutely deserve a big round of applause.

To the dreamers out there, I salute you. LIVE and may all your dreams come true.

This is for you!

January 27, 2010 PHARMACY DAY TODAY!

I want this day to be a bead day... But it ain't a bead day =(

Resolution # 1 - unblock the "creative-block"...; Resolution # 2 - ...but strictly observe schedules.  I managed to accomplish resolution # 1 (so far so good).  Resolution # 2 is now a major failure.

On the very last day of 2009, I listed how my week should go in my calendar (in my notebook, celphone, pieces of paper, laptop, literally everywhere).  This was the original plan: 

MWF -----  STORE (pharmacy) days
TTh    -----  Bead and/or Bazaar-planning/organizing days
SSun  -----  all the PERSONAL agendas fall on these days

And now, all the days are spent only for beads (last year was the other way around).   I can't!  I must add another resolution ... Resolution # 3:  Make sure to visit the store at least 3 times a week!

Welcome to my other world . . . the world of operations, financials, human resources, research, marketing and sales.  My husband and I managed to open a pharmacy a few months after I left the corporate world in 2008.  Now approaching on its 7th month, I'm just happy to say that we are managing pretty well.

More than anything else, what fulfills us in this venture is the employment opportunities it has provided to the many frustrated job-seekers.  Operated by a 6-man team (pharmacist, store supervisor, pharmacy assistants and our barangay officer who secures the store), each one has a job-related story to tell.

Pharmacist ---  the Mother of the group.  Used to work for a pharmacy in Manila, but has now opted to work somewhere near her place of residence.  Thus, she landed with us =)

Store Supervisor & Pharmacy Assistants ---  3 nursing graduates and 1 computer graduate.  Having nurses in the store is a big plus! They are not only knowledgeable of medicines, sicknesses, but they also handle our other services like Patient Counselling, BP, Fasting Blood Sugar, Uric Acid and Cholesterol tests. Nursing is such an in-demand course due to overseas career opportunities.  But the reality is, a lot are left frustrated.  There are so much nursing graduates who are still unemployed and are not given the right opportunity.  I receive at least a dozen or more resumes of job-seekers with nursing background every month.  Just proves my point.  By the way, 2 of my nurses used to work for a call center. 

On my computer graduate, he's my ever dependable and everywhere assistant.  He not only troubleshoots our computer-related issues, but also acts as our store mascot, handles delivery and acts as DANCE INSTRUCTOR in our store-initiated Saturday Dance Exercise (o yes!  One of the many gimiks I thought of!  Lol!  Besides, he dances very well and is a member of a dance group.  The "Lolas" love him.). Aside from the pharmacy, he helps me sell in my once-in-awhile bazaars (He sells more bead necklaces  than I do. Again, the "Lolas" love and believe him.).

Barangay Officer --- "Mang Willie" as we call him is a totally different story.  He is the now you see me, now you don't staff.  Ensuring a safe and secured store is his primary duty.  He has somehow managed to accomplish his task except for nights when he falls asleep.  Ugh!!!  But his mere presence has been a deterent to bad elements.  Note: I changed my monobloc chairs to stools because of Mang Willie's sleeping habit. 

My staff have their own strengths and quirks (ain't we all).  But, I am proud of each one of them.  I just hope that the feeling is mutual =)

*Crazy-moment with the staff!

*Health is wealth.  Join our Saturday Dance Exercise!!!

*Meet & Greet with Mayor Strike and Lani.

So, will it be a bead day today? Or, a store day?  Definitely Store day!  ...and  BEAD-NIGHT tonight.

January 26, 2010 the TALA in my mind

Experienced a momentary lull yesterday. This usually happens in between collections.  Wanted to start with my Tala designs but had no idea how to begin.  Thus, I spent the afternoon going through my long list of personal emails when I came across this photo. I ended up gazing intently at it for a couple of hours.

This photo was taken by sister "R" in one of her trips last year. I'm pretty sure that sister "R" has no idea who the lady in white is (not even her first name).  But seems like she works for a restaurant and is in-charge of accommodating diners (hmm???). 

I continued to stare and wondered why I requested for a copy.   I even manipulated the photo.  Here's a close-up version.

Then I realized why I liked this photo.  The color of her skin vis-a-vis the whiteness and texture of her clothes show contrast yet both colors emit a sense of sincerity and pureness. Making it more  interesting is her ready smile for photo moments like this =)

At 6 pm, I was still lost.  No use in pushing it.  I decided to take a break and stepped out of the house.  It was in this very moment when I knew how to begin my Tala collection.  I saw and took a photo of this ...

A jet zooming across the peeping moon. I was absolutely in awe!  I then began my work.  With the two images in my mind, I ended up with my first Tala design.

January 25, 2010 FLOWER GARDEN

I love nature. I really do.

I must have collected hundreds of photos with nature as subject (flowers, trees, leaves, parks, mountain slopes, the sea, lakes, sky .... except for animals <& bugs>!).

Oops! Just remembered that I do have a few photos of the youngest in the brood ...

Meet Gizmo! and his best pal (Mr. Brown).

Gizmo (or Gizzy) was too ashamed to have his photo taken in this Hotdog Halloween costume. He tremendously hated us and hid under the table!

But from this ....

To this!!!

Just shows what kind of thumb I own. DOOMED!!! But this does not mean that I cannot build my own garden. I know I can! So, here it is... the last design for my Flora collection ... Flower Garden.

January 23, 2010 Love & Care of Family

Weekends are non-bead days. I usually spend these days in a relaxed mode… except this morning. Traffic in Manila on a Saturday is a nightmare! I would have rather stayed home and beaded-away even on a weekend.

But then, there will always be days when we have to put all things aside. On this particular day, we visited Uncle B.Z. at UST Hospital who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Bone Cancer a few days ago =( I felt sad, pain, and what made it more “emotional” was re-living the memories of 20-plus years ago. A lot of hard-to-answer questions, hearts are in sorrow, yet Uncle B.Z. remains to be the gentle and caring man I’ve long known.

Days may perhaps be numbered …. Or maybe not?! Miracles happen! The family had made a conscious effort to walk side-by-side with Uncle B.Z. in his journey. After all, it is in painful moments like this that LOVE and CARE of FAMILY will give each one strength, courage and inspiration.

Nothing else matters.

A photo of Taal Lake taken a few months before I tied the knot. Uncle B.Z. was one of our male principal sponsors, while his granddaughter was our flower girl. I have always believed that there is a golden ray of light at the end of a dark tunnel =)

for the crazy planets . . .January 22, 2010 Blue Moon

(March 30)

I belong to a yahoo group called Crazy Planets . . . where anything and everything under the sun (mostly LOL discussions) are talked about.  I declare myself to be a "noonie-noonie" planet since  I rarely reply to the neverending string of correspondences.  I always get lost in the trail. 

Since the topic is relatively new (and while I'm still in the loop),  the hot topic as of yesterday  is about the BLUE MOON tonight.  Click on the word "blue moon" to know more. 

We're going "gaga" over this right now!

To the CRAZY PLANETS, I'm 200% sure that blue will be BLUER THAN BLUE in  a few hours.  Looking forward to the howls . . .

 

____________________________________________________________________________

January 21, 2010 INSPIRED BY SONYA'S GARDEN

I am inspired by a place I frequently visit since I tied the knot 4 years ago...Sonyas Garden.

*Huge sunflowers found near the Tank

Aside from their nourishing menu, wide variety of breads, lovely accommodation, DIVINE massage and must absolutely mention their hospitable service (they just say the magic word, OK =) to all my requests. then Hola! they deliver), I frequent Sonyas Garden because of its tranquility. Embraced by lush greenies, colorful flowers and gentle breeze, I gain strength and my spirit feels recharged when I am there.

*My sister's way of showing "nature" her appreciation :)

Thus, last night's arrangements are dedicated to nature and will therefore fall under my Flora Collection. Here are snapshots of 3 out of 5 designs...please note that I cannot show the full design yet until the remaining 2 are done.


*(1) my tribute to the sun . . . "Lovely Day"


*(2) My tribute to the moon . . . "Dancin' in the MOONlight"





Can't wait to show you "Blue Moon" and "Flower Garden".

P.S. My bead necklaces are available at the Country Store of Sonyas Garden. *(3) they are all around us . . . "Happy Angels"

January 20, 2010 QUIAPO DAY

Quiapo is amazing. I guess thousands of people swarm quiapo every single day (except for the day right after the fiesta of the Black Nazarene wherein streets are free from vendors, shoppers and trash!).

Each Quiapo journey stirs excitement. I don’t mind the crowd...the smell of trash… this is how I define shopping anyway. All that runs in my head are the many finds found along the streets.

But this is how my route goes:

(10 am) Take the MRT from Ayala to Edsa, then take the LRT to Carriedo (I choose the not-so-rush hour. I say “not so” because the LRT can still be toxic!) / (10:30 am-10:45am) I arrive at my destination.

Then . . .

I quickly scan and absorb the many finds found along the street leading to the Church (note: I always end up buying oranges and those printed laundry bags which I use to store my clutter.)

Next is a stopover at the Church and say a quick prayer. Worked miracles for me.


And…I begin my work at Villalobos Street. I normally visit 2 known shops (appeared in fashion magazines) and dozens of stalls. But today, I visited 4 shops (less the stalls). Discovered 2 un-known (with no name) shops selling big turquoise rocks (for my beaded cloth necklaces) and star-shaped Mother of Pearls (for my Star and Moon Tala collection). Been looking for these for a long time.

I end (finished or not finished) by 3pm to avoid the rush hour once again. Hard to be sandwiched in a sardine-packed LRT with lots of goods.

My goods today are all waiting to be un-wrapped and be arranged. But I guess it can still wait for a day or two.

January 19, 2010 I'M BACK

In my 4 years of beading neck pieces, I do experience “creative-block” (if there’s such thing) every so often. Thus, I scout (and scramble) for inspirations to help bring back that creative bone. Yet, I end with nothing (bummer!!!).

Beading has become a part of my daily routine. Started as a stress-reliever from the corporate’s daily grind, and is now the JELLY in my bread. hahaha but true. It gives flavour and releases the color wheel swirling in my brain =)

But with last year’s major change (I retired young from the corporate world. 1/2 of the retirement age.) and many activities (my husband and I opened a pharmacy in Molino 3, Bacoor, Cavite), I temporarily shut off myself from the bead world. Unfortunately, last year’s shut off took quite some time. It had to take a 2010 resolution just to open it up again.

Thus, number 1&2 on the list . . . go back to Quiapo tomorrow