Adult Onset ADD?

I'm pretty sure I've developed Attention Deficit Disorder in the last few years. Or maybe in my case it should be called "Brain Spinning Disease."

There are so many balls in the air to be juggled that I often have trouble focusing on one at a time long enough to accomplish the task. I'm amazingly productive when I DO concentrate and am able to single-task (multi-tasking is no longer efficient in my muddled brain.) The trick is getting my mind to quiet down to that single event.

So I guess the answer for today is lists. I do know the coping techniques - and lists are a great way to quiet the mind because it keeps me from having to run the list over and over again in my head make sure I don't forget anything. On the other hand, one must keep track of the list(s) and that can be an issue too. But one thing at a time.

My List:

• Find all the samples to take to Houston Quilt Show (HQS)
• Buy dowel to hang banner for HQS
• Finish making kit samples that need to be shipped to Fusion for photos
• Finish making kits that need to be shipped to Fusion on Thursday
• Finish making kits that need to go with me to Houston on Wednesday
• Laundry to cloth myself in Houston
• Bank - deposit, and get change for cash register (closed Monday)
• Oh yeah - get Mom to reprogram cash register
• Pack and mail website orders that came in this weekend (closed Monday)
• Re-order Night at the Opera instructions
• Write Crystal Bangle instructions and email
• Pack booth stuff to leave for Houston on Wednesday morning
• Pack personal stuff to leave for Houston on Wednesday morning (see "laundry" above)

And that's just the list for things that need to be accomplished in the next 4 days.

Tell you what, though - I already feel better for having a list!

Step by Step Beads - folding into Beadwork Magazine

I was sad to find out Thursday that Step by Step Beads magazine will be folding into Beadwork magazine after the January/February 2010 issue. I hate to see our magazine options dwindle...don't we all love the rush of seeing the new issue of "XYZ..." in the mailbox or news stand? Here's a link to the press release.

I'm up late again tonight because I'm feeling the need to wrap some of these projects up that I've been slugging away on all week and get them mailed out and out of my space.

In the meantime, the cold front that will MAKE MY WEEKEND is almost here.

Boring Jill

Every day this week I've thought, jeez, I should update the blog. But the truth of the matter is I haven't been doing much to blog about the last few days. Merely slogging away at the piles and piles of work that have precious little to do with actual beading.

Mainly I've been concentrated on kit production, trying to get a comfortable stock in place for the last couple of shows this year. The Houston International Quilt Show is a five-day extravaganza that brings 60,000 attendees, so there's no throwing it together for THAT at the last minute. I've got 200+ kits getting shipped to Fusion Beads, and my last actual show of the year will be at BABE in Oakland, California in mid-November. I'll also have kits at the various teaching gigs in Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Lake Jackson that round out my last two months of the year. And then...

Oh Lord. And then! Then I have something like five or six weeks at home until 2010 starts and I'm off to parts unknown again. I don't dare look at the calendar right now and start dreaming about it so soon. I have to keep my head down and focused at the immediate tasks at hand so I don't mentally check out for the year too early.

Although The List is long, it's always long. So I'm taking the afternoon for a much deserved and needed massage and pedicure to lift my spirits again. Right now I've barely left the house since last week other than a quick trip to the post office. I indulge my hermit habits, but sometimes ya' gotta let the fresh air in.

Playing with colors

I'm teaching a Crystal Bangle class this weekend, and I've been having the most fun playing with colors to put kits together. So much fun that I ended up with 5 different colorways, when normally I stick with 3 or 4. I also think the Mega Jewels booth at Bead Fest Portland was having fun with me last weekend as I made my umpteenth visit to buy more crystals. The project is by Gerry Milton who owns Bead Crazee in Tyler, Texas. She graciously gave me permission to teach it here at the Tapestry Beads Studio.

Here's what I came up with...

That last Rose one hasn't been made up yet...but I'm about to go fix that right now!

Bead & Button Show survey

Bead & Button has a survey running about your favorite classes and teachers at the Bead & Button Show - you should participate! You can fill it out here.

As for me, I'm still waiting to hear if my class proposals have been accepted. Some teachers have already been notified of acceptance, others have been notified of non-acceptance...I'm still in limbo, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It generally means they're still working on the scheduling and filling in all the eleventy million slots.

Blood test results were pretty good today. Sugars are just fine. Same for thyroid. Cholesterol is a little high, but not by much. Overall, I'm pleased.

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....

I can adapt

So my hotel in Portland is located in the middle of IH-5. I can adapt. I can pretend the incessant highway noise is the ocean, right?

So I got all ready for set up at the convention center today and made the drive downtown only to discover that set up didn't start until 5pm. Which I would have realized if I had actually read the paperwork provided to me. Ooopsie! Instead, I took a little driving tour of downtown Portland (also known as being hopelessly lost) and took in the sights. My GPS finally figured out where I was and brought me back to the hotel neighborhood - I found a Target to stock up on munchies and some heat wraps.

Heat wraps, you ask? Yup. Because when I got into my micro-mini rental car today, I twisted my head at a weird angle and ZING. I did something funny to my head. Or my neck. Really, it's right at the base of my skull. Feels like a muscle pull and it hurts every time I move my head. Lovely.

What a day! Now I'm in the hotel room, heat wrap on my neck, eating Sun Chips for dinner. I'm reviewing my Bubbles & Bumps instructions to prep for the class I'm teaching in the morning. Then I'll have the afternoon to grab some lunch and get the booth set up for the 5pm opening.

I think this heat wrap might be helping...cool...

Nirvana has been located.

I am on the plane to Los Angeles right now, and I'm ON THE INTERNET! On my new Barbie Computer, which, have I mentioned lately that I love and adore? Anyway, I'm on the Internet, Ladies! This is true Nirvana for a three hour plane ride and an Internet addict like me. So sweet.

My luggage was 1.5 pounds over the 50lb weight limit, but the very nice lady at the AA counter and I both ignored the fact, and no extra $50 charge for me. Phew!

Aw, they're making me close up the computer now...but man! It's been awesome!

Live, from the stratosphere...