Holiday Cheers 2011

2012 will be a year of extremes.  I'm sure of that.  But no matter what, in highs and in lows (nothing grey this time),  I know I am blessed. Cheers to you, your loved ones and your dreams!

Thinking 2012

2 days before Christmas.  And all I think of is 2012...

1.  Expect the unexpected.

2.  Doors will close for growth.  Unfortunately sooner than projected. But another prayer answered.

3. Onto the next chapter with thread and needles.
4.  Begin and end each day with a thank you.
5.  Explore.

One day, I will expound. For now, I wish you all a merry, cheerful, blessed Christmas! -- Trix

Shopping early for unique finds

I felt Christmas while I walked along a short block yesterday morning.  Come to think of it, Christmas is literally just around the corner.  The decors are out and the festive jingles have begun.  I love how the early morning cool breeze of January-February have arrived earlier than usual. Reminds me of the cool, clean and crisp climate back then.  

Then in the afternoon, I capped my Christmas shopping HERE.  An aunt who goes crazy over great bargains like I do introduced me to this treasure trove. Amazing finds!

Like this open-mouthed fish.

I'm thinking of stuffing its mouth with hand towels or paper napkins. My aunt  will arrange and decorate her fish's mouth with dried flowers instead.

A day ago, I raised a friendly reminder to my friend to shop for Christmas gifts early.  Her habit is to shop a day before Christmas, then caps it off with a zoinked out mood.  Once, I found her seated in a daze right smack at the middle of the mall with shopping bags scattered all around the floor.  Obviously dead tired from the rush and long lines, yet still in major panic since her shopping was far from over.  I'm her opposite.  I  love the hunt for unique finds without the rush.  So, I begin way ahead of everyone else and take my sweet time.

If there's in any way you can relate to my friend's way of shopping yet on the hunt for something unique like me, By Beaded Story's Mother's Heart necklaces are back.  A unique yet heartwarming gift for the lovely women in your life.  You may order online by sending an email to bybeadedstory@gmail.com or posting via private message in facebook.

To view all collections, click HERE.

TALA NECKLACES: BATCH 2

A simply arranged neck piece that rests just right above the cleavage, highlighting a lovely glass pendant.

Tala B1

Tala B2

Tala B3

Tala B4

For queries, please send your email to bybeadedstory@gmail.com.

TALA NECKLACES: BATCH 1

Long neck pieces composed of glass beads, with a little mix of wood beads.  For queries or interested buyers, please send your email to bybeadedstory@gmail.com and a reply on all necessary details shall be sent to you soonest. 

*A friendly reminder:  Pieces from this collection come in very limited quantities (1-3 pieces only) to emphasize our value for uniqueness.

Tala A1

Tala A2

Tala A3

Tala A4

Tala A5

Tala A6.
I have favorites, and this is one.

Organized Chaos

No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading...or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.  -- Confucius quotes

I tried.

After having browsed through interesting reviews on Samantha Sotto's first  novel, I culminated with an intrigue. As usual! Knowing for one that she is a fellow Pinay, and how her story has evolved before, during and after landing a book deal with Random House,  I knew I had to run towards a nearby bookstore and grab myself a copy real quick.

And I just did that three weeks ago.  But to date, I have not gone beyond this page.

Serious! That's all to it - page one.  Nothing more, not even an added single word.  Lol!

Have you ever had days when situations appear and just happen at  the same point in time?  All scream harmoniously for your name and demand for immediate attention.  Well, this is exactly how my life's story has been these days.   Organized chaos!

First, here's a Moon Cake from J. Bond's Malaysian co-worker Wee.   I totally appreciate the thoughtfulness, especially the delightful fried shrimp rolls she had given us on  previous visits. I am addicted to Malaysia/Singapore's shrimp rolls.

This is my first time to have ever been so thrilled by a Moon Cake's intricate design.  The dragon  reminds me of my upcoming Seahorse Tala necklace. 

See the similarity?

On hindsight, having Wee (and their Indian boss) around would expectedly equate to an extensive week of site visits and extended hours in the office. Ack!!!  In a nutshell, the week began with no lovelife, and(!) a solo act of comprehending, overseeing and accomplishing these tasks...

Home Improvement:  Kitchen floor re-tiling. Before the works happened, the kitchen evoked a sense of darkness, dampness, and thus, became less conducive to cooking and other kitchen works.  Making the situation worse were wild and haunting thoughts that plagued my mind day and night.  I limited my kitchen visits and contended with the ever reliable take out food.  Unlike the fascination I have with multi-colored beads, the kitchen was transformed into ALL WHITE - clean, crisp and visibly clear.  Finally, I feel happy and definitely in peace. 

Store (pharmacy) improvement: for the purpose of  Safety and Security.  Anything to do with electricals, wirings, it would be best to ask the expert. Not me. The expert ended exhausted after his long, tedious explanation.  And, I still remain lost "in translation".  So when faced with a mind-boggling challenge like this...take note of all hotline numbers, take a photo, and turnover everything to the man. In my case, J. Bond.  Good job!

Family departure (to heaven).  My family and J. Bond's side of the family recently faced sad departures.  Both services are scheduled this weekend. Death, according to Mom, is written in our life's  journey, with no exemptions, no escapes. It is part and parcel of life. I keep her words in mind, but grasping and accepting how real it is remain incomprehensible to this day.  One day, I know I will understand. 

Speaking of understanding, J. Bond thinks that the challenge of understanding re-tiling, wiring and death have doubly magnified the monster in me.  So, he brought this photo home last night and said ... "Where do you think I can buy this sticker?  I should stick one in my car.".  Oh LOL!!! 

With these, reading at this point is impossible.  Beading, on the other hand, continues to be part of my daily routine despite the added mind-boggling works this week. As the saying goes, "If there's a will, there's a way.". 

Another Tala necklace to be released soon

How about you?  How has your week been so far?

Sneak Peek: TALA 2011

What I have finished so far.

I'm slower than usual because of the hand I briefly talked about HERE.  No choice but to design and arrange only ONE per day.  The knotting has caused some sleepless nights.

Slowly but surely.  A sneak peek...

By Beaded Story's TALA 2011 Collection coming soon! 

More FLORA necklaces

Since this blog, 12 designs have been sold (think sold out).  And so, here are more handpainted Flora necklaces...

Visit By Beaded Story's multiply site to see 14 new designs.  Click HERE.  For queries, you may send your email to bybeadedstory@gmail.com.

More Bead Cloth Necklaces

Pinky's suggestion to mix-up colors turned out perfect.  I'm not ready to let go and sell just yet.  Lol!  But yes, these new Bead Cloth necklaces are now readily up for grabs and will soon be available at the Country Store of Sonya's Garden.  Visit By Beaded Story's facebook page to view all bead cloth designs :)

Red with silver beads

Turquoise with silver beads

Black with gold beads

Hot Pink with silver beads

For queries, email us at bybeadedstory@gmail.com.

Handpainted Flora 2011 Necklaces

I wore and tested this first at Cafe Red Orange.

Now, I'm done and have all these.

Handpainted Flora 2011 Necklaces.

For queries, please send your email to bybeadedstory@gmail.com. 

Or, visit the country store of Sonya's Garden soon.