Greetings

and

Salutations

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

Glad to see you again!

October is here, leaves are taking on a new color and there is a chill in the air...BRRR!

Well not that much of a chill where we are...if you didn't hear, Bead At Home Beading Jewelry 101 headquarters headed south for the winter...okay permanently.

We have moved the family south so there isn't much of a chill as I would like but we'll see as the months creep closer to winter.

Like most moves go...it's busy...and buried under boxes.

Every move has it's hiccups, nothing major, just minor inconveniences. It's been good all around and we all seem to be settling in nicely.

But life is not the same and won't be the same ever again.

The routine has changed. The surroundings have changed. Family and friends were left behind and have become long distance relations now.

I thought it was time to take a quick break from the unpacking to do something that felt familiar. I need to remain grounded, reminding me there is light at the end of this tunnel of boxes, believe me it will be a nice distraction. I can re-arrange the kitchen cabinets only so many times.

The good news is most of the necessities are accessible, the bad news is that this is a temporary location until we find our permanent headquarters.

For now we are good to go, I'll try to keep this short and sweet since there are still so many boxes left to unpack and lots of purging yet to do.

With all of this change around me I needed to take time to get back to something that brings me comfort and feels somewhat normal.

Let's talk beading. After all beading is not just about creating jewelry and accessories...

Beading is Therapy.

So as I was saying, October is here, it's the last quarter of the year and it's the official start of fall happenings with the upcoming holidays just around the corner.

Scary thought huh? Not surprising with Halloween just around the corner.

What's happening for you this fall?

Here are a few to pay attention to this month:

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month among others.

Also, October equals Oktoberfest [glücklicher Tag]

...and our biggie we love in our home...Halloween. [after all who doesn't love dressing up and getting free candy. Okay I know it's not for everyone but we enjoy it.]

There are so many more events and such for this month but, seriously, we might be here all day and then I'd never get this unpacking done.

So here is a list of Daily, Weekly and Monthly Calendar Events and Awareness' for October that I found. Some are interesting, some notable and some are just plain silly. [What some will do just to have an excuse to celebrate ;).]

Let me know if you find one that is near and dear to your heart.

Let's look at how beading fits for the month of October, let's look at how...

Beading is Therapy...

It helps to create a pleasant distraction and soothe those hiccups that happen in life making it very effective therapy.

I became aware of just what a great therapy tool beading is when I did a class for a Relay for Life group. My contact was a cancer survivor.

I had never worked very close with cancer survivors in my life up to that point. I enjoyed working with them for sure, they seemed to have a much different outlook on life in general, it just naturally came through.

But now...having lost my mother last year to colon cancer, I have a much different regard when someone says they are a cancer survivor or they lost a loved one to cancer.

Looking death in the face changes many things for a person and those closest to them.

I know for myself I don't look at things the same way anymore and I wouldn't want to go back either.

It's a part of the journey through life's seasons. It's a part of life that creates those growing pains hitting us head on, teaching us how to survive.

If you do not have a distraction or focus to lean on, it becomes a part of life that can swallow you up as well.

Since Mother's death, the last 18+ months I've been on a journey of recreating myself in a world without her in it. It's been hard to talk about my time with my mom, sharing her care giving with my siblings, but I did do a lot of writing.

What I wrote about was what gave me comfort...beading and talking to you about learning 'how to bead' was my therapy.

While caring for Mom, I decided to challenge myself with my passion for beading and teaching. It became a race, setting a goal against the clock that was ticking for Mom. I'm glad to say I achieved that goal before Mother left giving life to BJ101 and Betty Beader. That alone gives me comfort as well.

Mother was my biggest fan and took an active interest learning 'how to bead'. We worked on projects together over the years. Those projects have come to live with me now and I will more than likely share some of these projects with you as I continue moving forward.

I still have one last project with Mom to work on, but it will take awhile before I can give that specific project birth. For now the project must sit in the wings, it's a future therapy session yet to plan.

All those years ago when I did the 'Relay for Life' class little did I know it would become so close to me.

Beading is Therapy?

I understand.

I also understand...

Beading is a Fun Therapy

Dressing up and going to parties and giving all the trick or treater's a safe haven has always been a fun time for me while I was growing up and carrying that on with my own kids.

Making seasonal jewelry or jewelry to go with the outfits for trick or treating just goes hand in hand in my book.

Last month we talked about What Are Seed Beads? and pictured here is a color grouping of seed beads that provides instant inspiration.

I love this color combination. Seriously, when else could you wear these colors together and get away with it?

It provides lasting memories of making something together, like Mom and I did with her projects, and who can resist making fun memories and get free candy.

Beading suppliers also make it easy with a strand of novelty beads that can be incorporated in to any project.

What would you create with the Halloween color themed seed beads above?

Let's visit some others out there that are sharing some really cute DIY Halloween Jewelry Ideas.

If you need some more inspiration for DIY ideas you can always find a plethora of ideas on Pinterest.

What kind of fun projects will you be working on for your fall season?

Continuing talking about our recent move I have also found...

Beading is Organization Therapy

Being confronted with a move I was forced to think about how to effectively move the beading business which translates into SUPPLIES.

Last year I came across this super find.

This cart was sitting at the end of a driveway in our neighborhood with the attached sign.

As the saying goes: 'One (wo)man's trash is another (wo)man's treasure'.

I felt I struck gold. Any idea what one of these carts cost????....Exactly!

I did not see trash but a wealth of storage and organization for storing Bead At Home's beading supplies.

So I grabbed my husband, he loved the price tag too and we snatched it. It has sat until I decided how to dress it up.

I could see lots of combinations in my mind's eye and couldn't quite commit. I think I've decided but you'll have to wait til I get it done to see what I do.

Once the move became a reality I knew it was time to make the 'Beading Buggy' a reality as well.

I needed to pack all my supplies so that I could keep track of them.

I couldn't afford getting lost in brown boxes.

This little treasure allowed me to know exactly where everything was.

It also made it very easy for the packers to load on the moving truck as well.

It worked perfectly!!! Mission accomplished...

NOW...Getting to it is a different story, but at least I know where it is.

Next objective; get to it so I can use what's in it.

Can you see it buried in there? It's kinda hard to find but I trust we'll get there.

Organization is a process and an area we will be talking about more in the coming months as I find my new way of working in the new headquarters.

In the meantime here is a storage container article that you may find helpful to get you started with your organization or help you to get RE-organized.

This article is available at this link for a limited time only. As I continue to reorganize Bead At Home this article will be relocated.

Looks like there are more things moving than just our headquarters.

Enjoy and I hope you find something useful out of the article.

Also thought you may enjoy seeing some other pictures of different types of storage containers and organizing a beading craft room.

These Google images offer lots of visual ideas. Skim over them and see what you may be dreaming of for your space. Don't forget to share it with us.

And again, if you are a Pinterest follower, then there are a ton of visual ideas floating around there as well.

Here is the Craft Storage Pinterest Board I have started. If you would like to contribute to this board please let me know and I'll send you an invite or any other board at Bead At Home Pinterest site as well.

Gotta Love Pinterest!! {another form of therapy for me, but that's another story for another day]

So, do you really need to know this month...

What's New at Bead At Home BJ101

We will be working hard to get things back on track as quickly as possible.

Remember to keep watching as the site continues to grow. The newsletter/E-Zine will be changing as well. I have some definite ideas of what I would like to see but haven't reached the point to make it a reality...YET. But it will happen.

I want to hear more from you and incorporate you more into this E-Zine. This is for you.

If you have some ideas that you would like to see happen with the E-Zine we are all ears. Just 'contact us' and let us know your suggestions. We are always looking for ways to improve. We still have lots to do but your recommendations are always welcome.

Thanks for considering and as we always say thank you for your patience.

We are truly humbled by your interest in what's happening at Bead At Home BJ101.

In The Meantime...

Hopefully we will be able to answer your questions for you or at the least send you to where you can find the answer.

I don't claim to know everything but I do like trying to be helpful.

Enjoy your fall season. Let's see what kind of creations you are producing and remember...

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. Exodus 31:3-5

Beaded Blessings,

Betty Beader (a.k.a. Teri)