Summer Wrap Up

Equals

Back to School

Greetings

and

Salutations

Thank you for visiting with me in this issue of Bead At Home E-zine.

Glad to see you again!

Before we begin, I need to give you fair WARNING...sentimental reflection and nostalgia are ahead.

There will be some beading chat as well because...well, beading and jewelry making is a big focus in my life.

But I felt I needed to give you a heads' up. So if you decide to read on you can't say you weren't properly warned.

Back To School?

BACK TO SCHOOL

There are some of you still enjoying lazy days of summer and especially these dog days of summer. The thought of sitting in a car pool line in sweltering heat ranging in the high 90's and edging into the 100's is not very inviting.

I've never looked forward to that and although my children are beyond carpool lines these days, the memories may never fade.

With the first week completed and into the second week back to the public school system always brings those nostalgia childhood memories of back to school for me. My youngest just entered high school...YIKES!, and my eldest heads back to college in the next week for the third year. Time just continues to move right along.

(...SIGH!!! That was intended to be a sad sigh of children moving on and not an excited sigh of children moving on, let's make that very clear.) ;)

With schedules now back into full swing and getting back into a busier pace than what summer break allows for us it stops me in my tracks thinking how thankful I am for this time with my kids.

I tend to be maybe too sentimental, but I've learned over the years not to live life aimlessly, it goes too fast and I don't want to miss it.

I have learned to live life with intention.

My kids were my intention for a long time while they were babies on up to high school and now college. They are still but the older they get the less they need me. So now is the time to be even more intentional with my time with them.

Sharing how to make jewelry with beading for beginners goes hand in hand with that for me.

If you have read my story then you know that it was because of my children that I intentionally stumbled into this wonderful world of making jewelry.

Then, almost instantaneously my very soul called within me to become an instructor. My heart said, 'help others with this learning process so they don't have to struggle like you just did'.

It was such a deep calling I had to act on it with great intention.

I was reminded just this past weekend how important it is to me that I bring you the basics in a simplistic way that anyone can learn this.

Here's What Happened...

I had scheduled a beginners class. As time grew closer for class the day began filling up with family events and I was the taxi service. So I now had to reschedule the class.

Limited on available days I chose to push the time back to the end of, what I knew would be, a very long day for me.

The day started early, running morning errands then off to the ball field to sit in the hot sun with temperatures in the upper 90's while my daughter's softball team had their first two scrimmage games for the season.

I thought to myself 'after such a day who would have energy to do anything else'.

Fortunately I prepared myself for class ahead of time so I could just grab and go when it was time to leave to make class time.

What I really wanted to do was cancel the class. I wanted to say no we'll have to reschedule. I had my own laundry list of reasons and I was just tired.

But I pushed those thoughts and reasons out of my head and became intentional for another whole set of reasons that do push me to do these classes.

To cut to the chase, by the end of class with this husband and wife team working to help the wife learn this process (that in itself, having such a supportive husband for his wife, was endearing to me) it turned out to be a wonderful experience.

She gave me a big hug and thanked me over and over again expressing how much she enjoyed her time and how grateful for what I shared with her.

Her husband was very kind and appreciative as well and genuinely interested asking lots and lots of questions as well. What a blessing the day turned out to be.

I walked away from class with more energy than when I started. That speaks volumes to me.

I love doing what I do, teaching beginners because:

Moments like this are priceless.

Moments like this are the very reason that I continue to share the basics to beading with you.

Moments like this are why I am intentional with reaching out to touch the beginner, one person at a time.

Life has a way of revealing itself to us in some of the most unexpected ways and for me, outside of my children, I receive countless blessings and revelations of life through my clients that attend the beginner beading classes.

The Take Away

Sometimes I just have to let the words take me where they will.

So if you are still here I implore you to stop and think about yourself for a moment or two. If you will allow me to ask 'What do you do in your own life that is intentional?'

This wasn't intended to praise me and talk of how wonderful I think I am but merely to share how something as simple as jewelry making can have such a profound effect in our lives.

It's not like that for everyone, but it is like this for most of the classes I conduct. And it keeps me intentional to continue to spread this word to you.

It's a means to provide great joy not just ourselves but others that we touch through our jewelry making. Learning how to make jewelry is a gift, a gift to yourself and a gift to others that you might touch through it. It doesn't matter the skill level.

Now here is the next question.

Are you wanting to learn the basics to beading for the first time, or perhaps a new beading technique or just something new in the jewelry making field?

Are you dealing with obstacles that might be stopping you from reaching that?

If so, what are those obstacles and why are they stopping you?

Think on that for a bit for yourself and if you need an ear I invite you to reach out to me. I may not have all the answers but maybe...just maybe, I might be able to help you to push through.

Let Me Close...

Again, if you are stuck I invite you to reach out by contacting me. Let's wrap this up with just a few additional notes.

Question of the Month

Q1 - "Will you send me last month's E-Zine, I've lost my link?"

Q2 - "I just signed up for 'Bead At Home E-Zine' can you tell me when I will receive my first edition?"

First let me respond by sharing that my heart leaps for joy that you are actually interested in this one beading enthusiast passion for talking about this fun topic. As Sally Fields said it best..."You like me, you really, really like me."

Getting the E-zine up and running has had it's bumps along the way and it is by no means where I would like it to be but like everything else 'You have to start at the beginning'...

Regardless, I thank each of you for sharing your support and feeding my inspiration to continue to bring this little corner of Bead At Home to you.

With that said, to answer these questions a new FAQ's page has been created leading off with these two questions.

You will find a link to all back issues for Bead At Home E-zine and when the publication comes out.

If you would like to cut to the chase here is a link for all

Back Issues for Bead At Home E-Zine. This direct link is available to you at anytime you want to see any previous editions and available at your fingertips on the FAQ page.

Or if you scroll to the very bottom of this E-zine you will see a link there for all back issues as well.

Two handy spots right at your finger tips.

Please continue to keep reaching out and asking your questions. This will be a work in process as more and more questions come in.

Be sure to check often.

Now...

What's New at Bead At Home BJ101

So I'm looking for some 'show and tell stories' from you. What kind of show and tell you might be asking?

Bead At Home is working to build a directory and we want you to share and tell us about your favorite;

BEAD SHOPS.

Do you have any bead shops in your area?

Are you a bead shop owner?

Do you visit bead shops during your summer travels?

There is a new page up for you to 'show and tell' us about bead shops that you like to visit.

Head over to the link listed above to check it out.

We want to hear about any and all of them.

Let's get the word out providing choices for our fellow beading buddies to have access to new places to find more and more beading supplies.

What else is new?

They are still moving forward. Be watching for a special e-mail sometime this fall titled 'Bead Kits are Now Available'.

Here is a sneak peak at the package labels.

In Conclusion...

As 2015 continues to move along I do work for you trying to continue to add more and more information. I would like to leave you with this last thought...as your life continues to move along, I just want to encourage you to be intentional with it.

Don't let road blocks stop you from what it is you want and if you need an ear to listen I have two and welcome you to use them.

I deeply appreciate your visiting Bead At Home bj101 and hope you have found a home here. I look forward to continuing to grow with you.

We'll talk again soon and remember...

Exodus 31: 3-5 I have filled him with all kinds of skills to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.

Beaded Blessings,

Betty Beader (a.k.a. Teri)