Portland is one bead town

Bead Fest Portland was just a great time from start to finish. What a wonderful group of happy and sparkly beaders live in the Northwest! My two classes were absolute delights to teach, and I know they had a great time, because they all kept coming to my booth to tell me so afterwards! I also had the rather amazing experience of reading about myself on someone else's Facebook update.

Saturday night was the Moonlight Bead In, where anyone could come by and spend the evening beading and socializing. Karen Keegan, who is one of the Interweave staff who makes all the Bead Fest shows happen like magic, posted on her Facebook account:

At the Moonlight Bead-In in Portland. Jill Wiseman is getting rave reviews on her class as is Tracy Stanley & Janice Berkebile. Happy students!!!

And a little later -
People are still pulling out Jill's kits to show everyone. Jill...be ready for some visitors to your booth tomorrow!!!

And indeed, they DID come by! There is nothing that makes me feel better than leaving students and customers with new knowledge, a cool project and a fun experience. The warm fuzzies for all the beady love directed my way from Portland are going to stay with me for a long time. Thank you ALL!

I survived the 8am Monday flight that brought me back home, (8am?? What was I THINKING when I booked myself an 8am flight?!) and now I get to sleep in my own bed for a few weeks before heading out for 4 weekends in a row of traveling.

The beading ladies get to come by and invade the Tapestry Beads Studio this coming Saturday - I'm teaching both a morning and and afternoon class. That's what I was working on prepping for today. Making kit samples, making instructions notes, and such.

Wednesday afternoon I have a follow-up doctor's appointment to go over my blood test results. I'm a little nervous about what they'll show. I'm not the healthiest of eaters...

Have you ever seen the tv show Hoarders? Well, it's inspiring me (SCARING me) to weed some things out of the house. Tonight's task was going through magazines...I'm an addict...and lately I've been too busy to keep up with the inflow and read them all. But the pile keeps getting taller and taller, so I'm making the tough choices tonight. I hope to tackle the books by the end of the week.

Mom got over half her bedroom painted (celery) while I was out of town last week, and she's shaming me into making some progress on my own. It was a full year ago when I painted one wall and stopped. I've been in color indecision ever since. The time for bold action has come. A choice must be made. I'm keeping my eye open for an inspiration room or two while I'm going through all these magazines....