The Party Ends

Awwww....I have such mixed feelings about the end of Bead & Button each year. It's an extravaganza of delights - things to see and fondle and oogle - friends to hug and chatter on endless with - laughter and frolic. But it's always the most exhausting of shows. There are precious few hours to devote to restoring yourself after the day. And I definitely need the down time now. Can't we just take a break for a few days and then do more of the show???

Mom and I enjoyed our crazy expensive, but well worth it, meal at the Capital Grille last night. Filet Mignon, Parmesan encrusted Truffle French Fries that have to be tried to be believed. We even both had blissful Coconut Creme Pie for dessert. We were smart (er, lucky) enough to have taken the dessert back to the hotel to eat because as we walked the three blocks back to the hotel, the skies opened up yet again with another crazy deluge. We dodged frogs and fish on the sidewalks as we ran to safety. Okay, I might be making the frogs and fish part up. Probably my hallucination.

Now my route home is planned - the bags are packed and only need one last trip to the car to somehow neatly tuck everything in and then I'm off. Mom flies out later this afternoon. I usually have a plan for what hotel I'm staying at so I know exactly how far I have to drive, but I decided to wing it on the way home this time. My energy level is very low between the cold I have and the post show wearies. It looks like I might be driving into more (MORE!) weather along the way. I'm not really sure how far I can expect to go today, so I'll just drive until I get tired and then search for a nearby place to lay my head.

I have to tell you - this year's Bead & Button was such a good experience for me in many ways. My sales were way up - people have figured out how our kits are reliably makable and trust our quality and instructions. It almost got embarrassing to hear all the customers raving about our instructions! My classes were a delight - new friends, every one of them. And for the first time, I feel really comfortable about my place in this world. I know exactly what I excel at and I know that my customers love and appreciate our designs. I no longer feel intimidated by the showy art pieces I see here. I can enjoy and delight in them, but I also know they're things I wouldn't wear often and get to enjoy the way I get to wear and enjoy our designs, and that's the beauty of our work as opposed to theirs. There is a place in this beady world for us all, and I've found mine. It's a really pretty view from here, too. Lots of smiling faces looking back at us, waving their beautiful Tapestry Beads jewelry in triumph.

I'll try to post again from the road....safe travels, one and all!