March 18, 2010 MY ANSWER TO 3 QUESTIONS

I was faced with 3 questions from 3 different people this month. . .

Question 1: 
"How come you never considered setting up a kiosk for your beads in a mall?" 

Question 2: 
"Can you work as a sub-contractor for my bead business? 

Question 3:
"I need beaded BIB necklaces for a high-end store in Makati. Can you make it?"

I was stunned.  I used to ask the 1st question when I was still working for the mall.  As for the 2nd and 3rd questions, I felt a momentary excitement because I knew that these  proposals -- with the condition of exclusivity and having to sacrifice By Beaded Story's name -- equated to income.   

Let me tell you, this is not the first time I was asked these questions.   In previous encounters, I would say I will think about it. 

But this time, I give you my answer . . .

By Beaded Story happened at a time when I longed for  a creative outlet.  I wanted to see and feel more color amidst a black and white world. I had to get out of that 4-sided box and be able to work freely... without any pressure and deadline.

So one day, my heart chose to bead. 

I call these LUCKey Charms. 

I made 300 pieces of these on the day I decided to end my 12-year corporate life.  

I bead because

. . .  I am able to share with you my stories.

. . .  I show you how I see the world.

. . .  I feel fulfilled.

Me at my first bazaar in 2006.  St. James the Great Bazaar.

I am thankful for the appreciation,  for the business proposals, for invitations to lease a permanent space.  But all these years, I have shielded By Beaded Story from my black and white world.  I refuse to accommodate fads, pressure and deadline.  Let the Pharmacy handle that.

By Beaded Story's booth at St. James the Great Bazaar.

I will continue to live with what I originally planned for By Beaded Story . . .  To bead with a Story.  To be unique and one-of-a-kind. To produce in  limited quantities.  To make my presence felt where I feel is right. 

I never saw my beading as a business nor a hobby.  

By Beaded Story is all about LIVING ONE'S DREAM.

A blurred photo of a dragonfly resting on the mirror I used during the 2009 Sunday Market at ATC.  This is my favorite photo among all my bazaar photos.

March 10, 2010 One Body. One Mind. One Heart.

My heart breaks each time I say STOP.

Remember my blog  about the little girl who wanted to pursue her nursing dreams by doing volunteer work and still continue her employment at the pharmacy http://bybeadedstory.blogspot.com/2010/02/february-5-2010-do-i-study-again-no.html?

Today, she will  face the red light and give me her final decision.

There is no longer any other option when expectations are frequently turning into disappointments.

I have long learned that we cannot always have the best of both worlds. At a certain point, one will succeed and the other will be left behind.  Multi-tasking is  key to be recognized on this day and age. I know, I went through the juggling act. But the reality is, we can only do much. We only have one body, one mind and one heart.

In life, we are often faced with difficult choices. Do I turn left? . . . Do I turn right? . . . Do I go straight? . . .  Or, do I turn back?

But I have always believed that when choosing, I choose the path where I can grow and yet be contented. There were days when I made wrong and hurtful choices. I stumbled. But now I know that all these had a purpose. I grew more and I learned MOST.

I pray that when little girl faces me today, she sincerely chooses and says what is in her heart , and not what she thinks I want to hear.

This is her journey after all . . . She just crossed my path for guidance and direction.

february 24, 2010 I WON THE LOTTO!!!

. . .  In my DREAMS!!!  I just wanted to catch your attention.

I was too deep in my thoughts that I have not even noticed the relaxing breeze last night. I did not even bother switching the TV on to catch the newest show of abs-cbn nor work on my beads.

My mind was just too pre-occupied on flashbacks and fast-forwards. In a nutshell, I wondered if there's truth to this theory,  the universal law of attraction.

I've had my share of answered prayers but I've also experienced disappointments.  If I analyze this further,  the answered prayers are those that my heart was truly set on.  These were life-changing moments.  

Although, not all were immediately answered. It took time and needed a lot of patience and perserverance.  There was no other choice but to be still and go with the flow.  It came unnnoticed but at the right time.

The disappointments, on the other hand, were the irrational desires. I may be persistent for some time but realizing later on that these were just a bunch of superficial whims.  Here, I become impatient and crazy :)

Applying this theory to present times . . . now that the race is over and now that my days are simpler . . . I finally enjoy a more diverse yet quiet life.  I see the connection of then and now.

I needed a creative outlet when I was working. By Beaded Story happened.  I had to unblock the creative bead-block and needed to stay inspired,  this blog happened.

I was hesistant to move from my Advertising and Promotions world to Operations.  I knew what was in my heart but I still went on and LEARNED.  Then, the Pharmacy happened.

Now, I want to do something relevant.  I rally for a beautiful Earth. This finally happened . . . .

But I never planned these to show up in the Pharmacy last Monday.  They were already on display when I arrived. This just happened.

Thus, the Universal Law of Attraction must be true.  With what I just listed, here's what I was really thinking of  ...I WON! I WON! I WON the LOTTO JACKPOT!!! ...  SOON☻. . . 

February 23, 2010 the WACKY team

We met in 2004.  They helped me run a mall. 

Or a better way to way to describe it is that THEY RAN THE MALL and I was just their conductor.

I palpitated to my reply when the move was discussed with me.  I said yes but I was not expecting the huge responsibility that came with it.  Aside from running the mall, I  also needed to lead the team.  I  wanted to back off!  But I did not and I'm glad that I didn't.

I never expected that this move would  lead me to a set of wacky characters.  Why I said wacky?  Let me put it this way . . . Individually, they have their own characteristics.  But when together, they  transform into one and can be described as: 

BUBBLY, FUN-LOVING . . . GORGEOUS???

NOISY.  I swear. They have this talent of  talking  all at the same time whether it be in a meeting or on lunch break  And yet, each one heard and understood what everyone said.

 

POKER addicts (not all).  There were plans of holding Friday Poker sessions.  It's still a plan to this day =)

BEACH-bums.  I prefer the mountains.  But with them, there's no other  choice but the beach.

frustrated SURPRISE PARTY organizers!  With the many times a surprise party was organized, they finally succeeded  with my bridal shower party held in the office!  Imagine how the office looked. . . all the sexy "tits and tats" displayed on the walls and tables at 10 AM . . . work hours and opening time of the mall.  Hilarious!

In my 12-year career life, this moment is what I cherish most.  I have learned that there was nothing to fear.  They just needed a friend to walk with them in achieving goals.

Now that we have gone our separate ways, we set get-togethers on a trying-hard regular basis.  They are still the same wacky team that I met in 2004 but this time living different passions and dreams.

The two finance officers, Den and Lei, are now living their lives abroad.  One working for a TV network, and the other, a full-time Mom.  

Our Advertising and  Promotions Officer, Rai,  has chosen a different path to take. She is currently taking up nursing. Yup, totally different!   The other officer, Kat, is still working for the mall and I'm pretty sure that she's having a blast.

borrowed Mike's photo

From a teeny-weeny sized mall, Engineer Ariel is now  assigned to the biggest mall. He has finally embraced his single status. I hope! 

Obi, my co-conductor, also retired young. . . younger than I am (in her 20s).  She now heads a newly renovated mall in the North, and is assisted by Engineer Earl.  Travelling to different countries is Obi's favorite pasttime, while Earl fulfills his Daddy duties on his free time.

 

This guy, Operations Officer Mike, is responsible for my beautiful bead photos from 2006 to 2008.  By Beaded Story made its mark because of his work. His two adorable kids are his mini-me.  I described them as "little mice" when they were younger :)   Their tiny whimpering and giggling voices were our sounds in the office on weekends. 

Chiqui, the friend I talked about in this blog http://bybeadedstory.blogspot.com/2010/02/february-5-2010-do-i-study-again-no.html, is currently working for a well-known insurance firm.  All I can say is that she was born to lead.  A great and true friend. We celebrate February 4 together.

I, in case you still have no idea, am living my bead dream and busy rallying for affordable yet quality medicines.

Last Friday, we met because of a very special occasion . . .

Borrowed the photo from Mike.

Roni, the girl who I relied on when I made the move in 2004 and the one who introduced to me the world of bazaars in 2006, got engaged a week ago.  Like the "Kim Possible" she is in work, she is almost DONE with organizing her wedding set in 2010. Only Roni can do that! I am so happy and truly looking forward to celebrating February 4 with her too.

Instead of photos from work, I chose to show photos of our coffee sessions and beach trips. Though we met in work, we are now way beyond that ... We may have gone our separate ways ... building on different passions and different dreams.  But we still SHARE  the same "deep" WACKY FRIENDSHIP :)

2009 Beach trip with our familes :)  Hopefully, the plan in April 2010 pushes through.

February 5, 2010 do I study again? NO!

I was once adviced by my big boss to pursue a masteral degree or perhaps just take  a few units related to what I was about to swim into. . . My reply . . . "Units of what???" . . . This was a few weeks before I left my chika and showbiz world and was about to enter an unknown realm composed of cash flow, balance sheets, ROIs, profit and losses,  legal matters, strategic planning, lease contracts and so many more. 

I never saw myself studying again.  Even as simple as stepping foot in any school ground to inquire is absolutely non-existent in my agenda list.

Yet, the big boss was persistent.  But with my definitition of obedience, of course I did not follow.  I knew I will survive without having to study again and I did (whew!).  In the many times she mentioned this, my reply eventually evolved to . . . (in a very slow talking pace) "Okaaaaaaaaaay. I'll go back to school as long as the units I take are:  . . .hmm Photography? . . . maybe Painting? . . .  oh!  I like to add Beading?  . . . . or I think I can  survive baking!  Remembering this x-years ago moment makes me laugh.  It was literally a scenario of a mom (big boss) encouraging her stubborn child (me) to study.

I am sure my former office colleague/friend, and who by the way took up masters,will be shocked if I say. . .  (oh! this should be said in a very soft and tiny voice) . . . that I am amazed with folks who pursue further studies. Between us, she receives in person a totally opposite statement from me.  I bluntly tell her that her studies will ruin our friendship!  haha! 

But yes, I am truly amazed. After a long stressful day at work, she still had the energy to go to school, to push her brain cells to work at night, do homeworks and case studies. I often wondered what made her choose this path to take.  She managed so well considering the work that we both did during the day which often times extended to night.  If I were in her shoes, I definitely passed out right in front of the school gate.

I got my answer just last Wednesday (reason for my sleepless night aside from the coffee from Figaro).  That afternoon, I was faced by my youngest staff with a dilemma.  Boy, roles can really change.  Wish I was still playing the child's role.  She wanted to pursue her Nursing career by doing volunteer work for a hospital in Las Pinas and yet still work for the pharmacy.  There was really no problem until she submitted her hospital schedule.

I could have said no to her request.  I wanted to say no. Store shift schedules and rest days will definitely go crazy.  But when faced with a teary-eyed little girl who just wanted to pursue her dream, how can I say no.

So, I was right.  The schedule and the store OIC went super dooper crazy.  It took a whole night and a half day to fix the February 2010 shift schedule. 

This morning (the day little girl starts her hospital duty), I explained to my husband the reason for saying yes.

It felt wrong to say yes to the request because of its implications to our store operations.  But it felt all the more wrong if I said NO.  I did not want to shatter little girl's dream.  I wanted her to live it . . . The same way I am living my dreams.

Supported Bailey's swimwear Fashion Show last year by providing the accessories.

Photo borrowed from Bailey.   Visit and check-out this year's swimwear collection at  www.baileylicious.multiply.com .

February 1, 2010 LOOKING UP

Monica knows how I work when I organize shows ...literally from my relaxed, cool mode to my TAZMANIAN DEVIL boiling point.   I am a total freak when it comes to event management.  Every single thing needs to be ready at least a week before (haha!).  Thus, Monica knows what my stare, my hand/finger signals and my body language mean.  I don't need to utter a single word.  She (or rather He!) just knows.

On top of the many concerts and pocket performances we both worked on, Monica has also managed the sounds of my personal activities . . .  like my roof-deck  parties . . . weddings and bazaars that I organize . . . and even my own wedding.  

Being the freak that I am in events, I made sure to direct Monica and her team on my wedding day despite the presence of my friend who acted as the wedding coordinator.  Amidst the many smiles and chats with our guests, there was an  invisible force between us.  When the volume was too loud, I tapped on my ear and she (he) turned it down.  When the microphone needed to be turned on, I glanced her (his) way.  When  she (he) saw me staring at an exposed cable (a pet peeve!), her (his) assistants immediately worked on a cable-disappearing act.

In the many years that we've been doing events together, there is one occasion that I will never forget.

When - a DECADE ago, around 6:30pm

Where - a nook in front of Ilustrado, located at the Promenade of Alabang Town Center (this place is now the sports zone of ATC)

Setting - a piano and a micropone at the middle of the Promenade, with thousands of twinkling tivoli lights drooped from the ceiling

Activity -  Personal talk a few minutes before the show started (A Little Night Music with Agot Isidro)

My status - Totally Devastated!!!  (did not care about the show!)

What she (he) said to comfort me . . .  "Balang-araw, titingala sila sa iyo na parang Tala!". Then, we both laughed.  Yes, it was Monica who introduced to me the words Tingala and Tala. 

From that time on, I keep LOOKING UP.  It has been my way to unwind . . . to cope . . . and to hope.  I have even captured some photo moments of the act of looking up.  Here are a few of them from my UP photo collection =)

Looking Up from Bryant Park

My husband pointing up!

2 birds up on a lamppost

Trees  on a mountain slope

Posted this photo in my blog last week. A jet zooming across the peeping moon.

The cross up above the chapel where my husband and I were blessed

"Looking Up" is also how I look at my TALA glass collection.  I put each glass against the light before  I work on its transformation.  Every single time I do this, I am brought back to to the time I had my conversation with Monica.  Her (his) words had truly inspired me.

2008 Tala collection

2009 Tala collection

So... a decade after ... my status-HAPPILY MARRIED and absolutely-LIVING MY DREAMS.

Soon to come ... the 2010 Tala Glass collection!

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 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!